The TARDIS Family
by 10Blue10
Summary: <html><head></head>Two Time Lords and three Time Ladies - parents, godparents, and a little girl eager for adventure. She gets her wish in the form of a mystery surrounding Clara Oswald, the Impossible Girl. The TARDIS family will reunite with old friends, even some that were once thought lost forever, and face an old enemy hellbent on destroying the Doctor and everything he holds dear.</html>
1. The Snowmen Pt 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who

The Snowmen – Part One

The year was 1842, and in a snowy London park, a boy stood building a snowman alone as his peers laughed and shouted and pelted one another with snowballs. The boy ignored them; they were stupid and rowdy, and he didn't need them. He didn't need anyone. "Walter, don't you want to go and play with the other boys and girls? They're very nice" his mother tried to persuade him, but Walter was having none of it. "I don't need anyone else" he insisted.

He could hear his mother talking to his father. "He never talks to anyone. He's so alone. It's not right. It's not healthy" she declared. Walter was glad when they went back inside, and left him alone. Why couldn't anyone understand that he just wanted to be alone? He glanced up at the other children and scoffed under his breath, muttering to himself, "I don't want to talk to them. They're silly".

Walter almost yelled in fright when a voice came from his snowman. "They're silly. Don't talk to them. They're silly" it said. Shocked, Walter turned and ran away from the snowman, but he stopped when he heard it say, "Don't need anyone else". Very cautiously, he approached the snowman. "I can help you" it said, piquing Walter's curiosity. "How?" he asked.

/

Fifty years later, Walter Simeon stood watching homeless men scraping samples of snow from snowmen with sharp toothed grins. His face was gaunt and sour, like Scrooge, and he held no emotion in his icy eyes. When a carriage was loaded with jars full of snow, he drove it back to his laboratory at the GI Institute. A large globe stood on a dais, filled with flurrying snow. Simeon carried some of the jars up to it. "The last of the arrivals have been sampled" he informed the snow.

"The great swarm is approaching. As humanity celebrates, so shall it end. Will the final piece be ready?" the snow inquired in a deep, foreboding voice. "It's in hand" Simeon assured it, "I serve you in this, as in everything else". He spooned the snow from the jars into the globe, until each one was empty. "And do you keep my secrets, those men who helped us tonight?" the snow asked, and Simeon replied, "It won't be a problem. I promised to feed them".

He went out onto his balcony, looking down at the workers in the courtyard. One of them looked up at him and said "Beg pardon, Doctor Simeon. It's been a long day. I don't see any food here" he pointed out, gesturing around. "I do" said Simeon, not even blinking as snowmen burst from the ground and began to attack the men with sharp teeth and icy breath. "What is this?" the man cried, looking horrified. "I said I'd feed you. I didn't say who to" Simeon answered coldly.

/

"Ask me another one!" Emily demanded eagerly, tugging on her dad's sleeve. "Alright, alright, um…did anything interesting happen in _this _year?" he asked her. Emily closed her eyes and delved into her newfound knowledge of the universe; it had only been three or so months since she'd looked into the Untempered Schism, and she was getting very good at spouting snippets of facts about any year they gave her. Specific dates were a still a bit shaky, but she'd get there.

"It's the 22nd of December, 1892, and…on Halloween the Sherlock Holmes books were published" she said at last, looking up at her dad to see if she'd got it right. The Doctor ruffled her hair and smiled proudly. "Good job, sweetheart. Now, you'll be good for your godparents, won't you?" he asked. Emily nodded dutifully. "Yes, daddy…ooh, mummy, you look really pretty!" she said brightly, as Romana entered the console room wearing a deep blue corset and gown.

She smiled at her daughter, and thanked her. "You look beautiful" the Doctor murmured, drawing her into a kiss. Emily pulled a face and skipped over to the Corsair, who scooped her up and tossed her into the air, catching her easily as she squealed with glee. "We'd better get going" Romana admitted, coming over to give Emily a kiss on the cheek. "Be a good girl, and Corsair, listen to Flavia when she says it's Emily's bedtime" she warned the other Time Lord, who gave her a mock salute.

"Don't worry, Romana, I'll keep an eye on them both. Goodness knows they'll need it" Flavia rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. "Now go on, off with you both, or you'll be late" she said, ushering the Doctor and Romana out of the door. They stepped out onto the cloud and made their way down a spiral staircase, an _invisible _spiral staircase. They had decided to visit the Paternoster Gang for Christmas, only to arrive a fortnight or so early, and not wanting to give Vastra, Jenny and Strax any trouble they'd landed the TARDIS on a cloud, just like when Romana had been pregnant.

Strax met them at the bottom of the staircase, waiting with a brougham carriage. "Sir, ma'am" he greeted with a short nod, getting down and opening the door for them. "Thanks, Strax" the Doctor said as he helped Romana into the carriage, before climbing in himself. Strax drove them to an alleyway close to a tavern, the_ Rose and Crown. _Their actual destination was a restaurant a few blocks away, but they both felt like walking some of the distance, despite it being so chilly.

They left Strax with strict instructions not to kill the horse (again), challenge any drunken men to a duel (again) or try to use his grenades (again). The Sontaron had sulked, but agreed. The couple enjoyed a lovely meal at the restaurant, with the finest wine the chefs could afford. It had been a while since they'd gone on a date, just the two of them. The temptation to find a hotel and get a room using the psychic paper was there, but they both wanted more to get back to their daughter, and their friends.

As Romana and the Doctor walked past the _Rose and Crown _again, arms linked together, a barmaid in a red dress asked them "Did you make this snowman?"

The snowman in question was standing in the middle of the small yard, looking strangely intimidating. "No, we didn't" the Doctor replied, walking on, only for the young woman to continue talking. "Well, who did? Because it wasn't there a second ago. It just appeared, from nowhere" she revealed, and the Doctor stopped dead in his tracks. He and Romana walked over to the snowman, which had an odd spiky grin carved onto it; it creeped Romana out and she shivered, but not from cold.

"Maybe it's snow that fell before. Maybe it remembers how to make snowmen" the Doctor surmised, brushing his fingers across the cold white surface. The barmaid scoffed slightly in disbelief. "What, snow that can remember? That's silly" she asserted.

"What's wrong with silly?" asked the Doctor, and she shrugged. "Nothing; still talking to you, ain't I?" she pointed out; normally the Doctor would have looked indignant at being called silly, but he was distracted by the snowman. "What's your name?" Romana asked the girl; for some reason this human sounded familiar, but Romana couldn't put her finger on where she'd heard this voice before. "Clara" the barmaid replied with a smile.

"Nice name, Clara" the Doctor nodded, putting an arm around Romana and steering her away. "You should definitely keep it. We have to be going now" he informed Clara, leading Romana around the corner. _Theta, is something wrong? _she asked in concern; he never just walked away from people. "Oi! Where are you going?" Clara demanded, following them to the carriage, "I thought we was just getting acquainted".

The Doctor stood back to let Romana climb into the carriage. "We really do have somewhere to be. It was nice meeting you, Clara, goodbye" he said firmly, climbing into the carriage. As it trundled off, Clara began to head back to the inn…but then she changed her mind and ran after them. She had questions and those two obviously had answers, and she was going to get some.

Inside the carriage, Romana turned to the Doctor and asked "Is something the matter, love? You don't usually do this" she pointed out, and the Doctor looked quizzically at her. "I don't usually do what?" he inquired.

"Walk away from a mystery; two mysteries, in fact. That creepy looking snowman, and Clara"

"What's so mysterious about Clara?"

"Well, don't you think she sounded familiar? I could swear I've heard her voice before" Romana told him with a frown. The Doctor shrugged, and hoped the conversation would end there; but Romana pressed him for an explanation and he soon relented. "Okay, I'm not saying I'm not interested; but every time I get involved with something like this, it escalates. Just once I'd like a Christmas with no invasions or crashing spaceships or anything – just a nice, quiet holiday with my family" he explained.

Romana smiled softly in understanding. "Fair enough, but Doctor, don't you think Clara will be cur"- she was interrupted by a thump on the ceiling, and the carriage jerking as Strax pulled it to a halt. Suddenly Clara had poked her head through a hatch in the roof, staring at them upside down. "Doctor?" she asked, "Doctor who?"

Before either Time Lord could respond, Clara's eyes widened as she was pulled back out of the hatch. The strange little bald driver of the carriage shooed her off into the snow, shut the hatch, opened the door and barked "Sir, ma'am, you must vacate the vehicle post haste!" The man and woman got out, with the woman saying "Strax, what's gotten into you?"

Suddenly Clara found herself being bundled into the carriage, the door of which was shut behind her. "Oi! What're you doing? Let me out!" she cried indignantly, rattling the handle. She heard the driver, Stacks or something, announce "I have captured the spy that tried to attack you both, you are quite welcome!"

"What? I ain't a spy; now let me out of here!" Clara demanded hotly, banging on the door. "Madam, that is highly inadvisable-!" her 'captor' asserted, moments before she heard the door unlock. The woman opened the door, saying "Really Strax, you've got to stop jumping to conclusions. Clara here wasn't spying or attacking us. Out you come" she smiled at Clara, helping her out of the carriage. "I'm Romana, by the way, and this is my husband, the Doctor. Just the Doctor" she added, as Clara opened her mouth.

Clara quickly shut her mouth and looked over at Strax. "What is he?" she asked; it was obvious he wasn't human. "Silence, boy!" Strax ordered, making Clara raise an eyebrow and Romana snicker. "That's Strax. And as you can see, he's easily confused" the Doctor explained, giving the Sontaron a pointed look. "Silence, _girl_" Strax corrected himself, before adding "Sorry, lad".

"Sontaran; clone warrior race. Factory produced, whole legions at a time. Two genders is a bit further than he can count" the Doctor elucidated, and Strax stiffened. "Sir, do not discuss my reproductive cycle in front of enemy girls. It's embarrassing" he stated. Clara smiled in amusement, before turning to Romana. "How come you just ran off like that?" she asked her.

"Sorry about that; the Doctor can be a bit rude sometimes. We just wanted to get home to our daughter"

"What's her name?"

"Emily, she's just turned eight this year. She's such a sweet girl"

"I'm sure she is. So what's all this about snow that remembers? Where _did _that snowman come from? Snowmen don't just appear out of nowhere" she insisted. Before Romana could try to explain, the Doctor interrupted, saying "It's nothing you need to worry about, and besides, soon you're going to forget you ever met us. We'll need the worm" he told Strax, who saluted sharply and said, "Sir".

Alarmed, Clara's eyes widened. "You'll need the what? The worm? What worm?" she questioned. Romana frowned, which did nothing to appease her concern. "Is that really necessary?" Romana asked the Doctor, who replied "Well, she's obviously not going to just walk away. Don't worry, it won't hurt, but one touch on your bare skin and you'll lose the last hour of your memory" he explained to Clara, just as Strax returned empty handed.

"Where is it?" asked the Doctor, and the Sontaron butler looked at him blankly. "Where's what, sir?"

"I sent you to get the Memory Worm"

"Did you? When?" asked Strax, before spotting Clara and demanding "Who's he? What are we doing here?" He looked around and exclaimed "Look, it's been snowing!"

The Doctor sighed in exasperation; behind him, his wife and Clara sniggered behind their hands. "You didn't use the gauntlets, did you?" he realised. Strax frowned in confusion. "Why would I need the gauntlets?" he asked, before something dawned on him, "Do you want me to get the Memory Worm?"

"You…" the Doctor made a strangling gesture at him and snapped "Yes, I do!"

/

Meanwhile, a man was dropped off at his home by a carriage. The door was opened by a maid, named Alice. "Good evening, sir" she greeted politely, stepping back to let the man, Captain Latimer, inside. "Pond's frozen over" Latimer noted, "Hasn't frozen since the night"-

"Since the night your children's governess died, a year ago" a cold faced man in a suit and coat finished, appearing in the hallway. "Doctor Simeon, sir. He insisted on waiting" Alice explained, as Simeon approached and gave Latimer a cursory handshake. "She drowned in this very pond" Latimer nodded, sounding regretful. "Which then froze. You didn't find her till a month later, when the ice finally melted" Simeon continued for him, his voice near emotionless. "I recall the incident. It is the sort of thing one remembers" Latimer replied stiffly.

"The ice remembers too" Simeon said mysteriously, moving past Latimer. "Who are you? What do you want here?" the Captain demanded. Simeon calmly handed him a business card for the Great Intelligence Institute. "The pond is yours, Captain Latimer, but what is growing inside it, when it is ready, is ours. Good evening".

On the way back to his carriage, Simeon was stopped in his tracks by a young woman in black leather trousers, her hands on hips. "Well, Doctor Simeon, you're out very late tonight" Jenny commented, as Vastra stepped from the shadows behind Simeon. "Almost makes one wonder what you've been up to. But then, I have often wondered about the activities of Doctor Simeon and his exceptionally secretive Institute" she commented, stalking up to Simeon, who looked completely unfazed.

"Well, I am honoured this evening. The veiled detective… and her fatuous accomplice" he sneered. Jenny smirked and gave a mocking curtsey. "At your service".

"You realise Doctor Doyle is almost certainly basing his fantastical tales on your own exploits? With a few choice alterations, of course. I doubt the readers of The Strand magazine would accept that the great detective is, in reality, a woman" Simeon observed, lifting Vastra's veil. He barely blinked at the sight of her green and scaly skin. "And her suspiciously intimate companion" he added, glancing back at Jenny with a look of distaste.

Vastra raised her head haughtily and informed him, "I resent your implication of impropriety. _We_ are married".

"More than can be said for you, eh, dear?" Jenny smirked, but Simeon ignored her. Vastra scooped up some snow and let it fall through her fingers. "Now then. This snow is interesting, don't you think? The ice crystals seem to have a low level telepathic field. Almost as if it can detect and respond to the thoughts and memories of the people around it. Memory snow. Snow that learns" she mused. Simeon gave her a withering look. "How fascinating" he intoned bluntly.

"I hope it's listening to the right people. It could be a terrible weapon in the wrong hands, don't you think?" Vastra asked Simeon, but he merely stared coolly at her. "I think winter is coming" he replied, "Such a winter as this world has never known. The last winter of humankind. Do you know why I'm telling you all this?"

"I am intrigued"

"Because there's not a single thing you can do to stop it" Simeon declared, before striding towards and past Jenny. "Perhaps I can't, but I know four people who can" Vastra called after him. Simeon paused and replied, "I look forward to meeting them", before going on his way. Jenny looked at Vastra and asked her, "You mean the Time Lords? They might not help us, the Doctor did say he just wanted a quiet Christmas".

"I know, my dear, but you're forgetting something important" Vastra told her, "no matter how stubborn the Doctor might try to be, he can never stand up to the assault from his little girl's puppy dog eyes".


	2. The Snowmen Pt 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who

The Snowmen – Part Two

Strax crawled under the carriage, trying to catch the escaped Memory Worm. Clara sat on the edge of the carriage, lips quirking in amusement. "Well, can you see it?" the Doctor asked Strax impatiently. "I think I can hear it" the Sontaron replied. Clara giggled, and Romana commented "I'd have thought you'd have run away by now".

"Why would I run? I know what's going to happen next and it's funny" Clara grinned, and the Doctor looked at her in confusion. "What's funny?" he inquired. Clara nodded at Strax's legs sticking out from under the carriage. "Well, your little pal, for a start. He's an ugly little fella, isn't he?" she joked.

"Maybe. He gave his life for a friend of mine once"

"Then how come he's alive?"

"Another friend of mine brought him back. I'm not sure all his brains made the return trip!" the Doctor snapped irritably. He just wanted to go back to the TARDIS and spend time with his family, not deal with a curious human for once. "Neither am I" Romana admitted to Clara with an amused smile. She really didn't see what the Doctor was so upset about; Clara seemed like a nice girl, she just wished she could figure out why the young barmaid sounded so oddly familiar. "I can see it!" announced Strax from under the carriage. "Ooh! Can you reach it? Have you got it?" the Doctor asked quickly.

There was a pause. "Got what, sir?" asked Strax, and Clara held up a pair of thick gloves. "Because these are the gauntlets, aren't they?" she asked with an amused smirk. The Doctor resisted the urge to face-palm when Strax cried out "Sir, emergency! I think I've been run over by a cab". Romana and Clara both giggled as he told Strax to get out from under the carriage and snatched the gauntlets from Clara's hand, going to fetch the Memory Worm himself.

Romana took a jar from under the seat in the carriage. The Doctor emerged gripping a large, white, grub like worm. "There you go. One touch and you lose about an hour of your memory. Let it bite you and you could lose decades" he explained to Clara, stuffing the worm into the jar. "Thanks, dear" he said gratefully to Romana, screwing the top on tight, before looking at Clara. "You're still not trying to run" he noted. Well, he had to admire her persistence at least.

Clara folded her arms stubbornly and replied "I don't understand how the snowman built itself. I'll run once you've explained".

"Clara who?"

"Doctor who?"

"Ooh, dangerous question"

"What's wrong with dangerous?"

Behind the Doctor, a sharp toothed snowman emerged from the ground, making both Romana and Clara stiffen. "The snow emits a low level telepathic field" the Doctor began to explain, oblivious to the snowman, and to Clara's murmur of "My snowman".

"It seems to reflect people's thoughts and memories and because it's unusual, somehow it carries a previous shape and"-

"Doctor, the snowman" Romana cut him off, pointing at the icy, creepy white blob. "Ah! Interesting. Well, were you thinking about it?" he asked Clara, who nodded and answered "Yes". Then another snowman appeared, and another, surrounding them. "Sir, we are under attack!" Strax barked, lifting up a large weapon. "Strax, put that down!" Romana scolded in her 'mum' voice as the Doctor called it. He turned to Clara and said urgently, "Well, stop. Clara, stop thinking about the snowmen!"

One of the snowmen opened its freezing maw and breathed snowflakes on them. "Get down!" the Doctor cried, ducking and pulling the other two down with him. He grabbed Clara by the shoulders. "Clara, listen to me. The snow's feeding off your thoughts".

"I don't understand!"

"You're caught in their telepathic field. They're mirroring you. The more you think about the snowmen, the more they appear. Imagine them melting. Picture it. Picture them melted!" the Doctor instructed insistently; Clara shut her eyes tight, and a few seconds later they were splashed with ice cold water as the snowmen around them burst like bubbles. The Doctor wiped his wet fringe out of his eyes and asked Romana if she was okay. She nodded. "Well, very good. Very, very good. Ha!" he grinned, pleased they were safe.

"Is that going to happen again?" Clara asked, and the Doctor smiled. "Well, if it does, you know what to do about it" he pointed out…but then Romana reminded him "She won't if she forgets this ever happened". The Doctor looked from her to Clara, and sighed in defeat. "Can you find your way back to where we met you from her?" he asked Clara, who thought about it for a moment and then nodded. "Good. Go home, and forget about us, understand?" he warned her.

"What about the snow? Shouldn't we be warning people?" asked Clara, but the Doctor just pulled her over to the carriage and ushered her inside. "Who'd believe us? Merry Christmas" he said, shutting the door on her. "Take her back where we found her" he ordered Strax, before turning to Romana and offering his hand. She hesitated and then took it, walking with him back to the TARDIS. She knew Clara was probably following them, since there were two doors in the carriage, but she didn't mention anything to the Doctor.

Clara followed the couple to a park, watching as the Doctor lifted Romana over the railings and then vaulted over himself. She smiled as she watched the Doctor spin his wife around, dancing with her beneath the moonlight. Then her eyes widened in amazement when he jumped up and grabbed a ladder, which came down from what looked like thin air. First the Doctor, then Romana climbed up the ladder and disappeared from sight. There was a _clunk _sound, and the ladder rose back up into nothingness.

Curious, she hurried over and jumped for the ladder, but didn't manage to grab it until her second attempt. "Come on" she smiled eagerly, pulling the ladder down and climbing up it. There was a platform at the top, and she could see people walking by. "Hello?" she called, waving…nobody heard her, or saw her. "Invisible" she murmured, looking up at the spiral staircase stretching up into the sky, "An invisible staircase".

It wasn't long before the rooftops of London were far below her. Clara stopped a couple of times, to admire the view and also to make sure the Doctor or Romana didn't realise she was following them. When she reached the top of the staircase, Clara was surprised to discover it ended at a cloud, with a blue box on top of it. The cloud seemed to be supporting the box's weight; cautiously, Clara stepped onto the cloud, relieved when it didn't fall out from under her.

She walked all around the box, trying to figure out how those two strange people and their daughter could fit inside something so small. She pressed her ear to the door; she knew it was wrong to eavesdrop but her curiosity was just too insatiable. Through the wood she could make out laughter, and what sounded like…running? "I'm gonna get you!" she heard the Doctor cry, sounding much happier than he had earlier. "No, _I'm _going to get you!" said another man's voice, one Clara didn't recognise. _Blimey, how many people does he have in there? _She wondered.

The wood beneath her cheek hummed, and Clara pulled back. She got the strangest sense that the box was _looking _at her, and it unnerved her. Even though she really wanted to knock, and find out what was going on once and for all, something made her turn back and hurry down the staircase.

Meanwhile, in Simeon's laboratory, more snow was being poured into the large globe. "Tonight the thaw" the snow intoned, "Tomorrow the snow will fall again, yet stronger. The drowned woman and the dreaming child will give us form at last. Tomorrow the snow will fall and so shall mankind. She is coming".

/

The next morning, Clara left the _Rose and Crown _carrying a Gladstone bag, looking around at the damp but snowless ground. "Look at that. Must have thawed in the night" she commented to the landlord, Mr Chilcott, who had followed her out. "I'm begging you, Clara. I'm on my knees" he told her; she'd only offered to work there for a short time, but with it being the Christmas season, he was at his wits end trying to keep all his customers happy.

"Elsie is back this afternoon, and I was only helping out. I've got my own work to get back to" Clara reminded him. "What work? Why won't you ever tell us?" asked Chilcott, but Clara just smiled mysteriously. "You'd never believe me" she told him, paying the driver of a carriage and climbing inside. Then she drew the blinds, opened her bag, and began to change her clothes and hairstyle. It wasn't an easy feat in a moving carriage, and the result was rather impressive, if she did say so herself.

The carriage drew up outside of Darkover House, and Clara stepped out, dressed neatly in a light grey dress and coat, her hair done up beneath a fancy hat. "Alice, how smart you look today" she said in a very prim and proper accent, as the maid opened the door. "The governess should enter by the back door, unless accompanied by the children" Alice reminded her, but not in a disapproving way. "And how are the children? Excited about tomorrow?" Clara inquired.

"Francesca, same as ever. Digby says he missed you every day. Captain Latimer wants to see you" Alice informed her. "Of course; every day?"

"Twice on Saturdays"

"That's better" Clara smiled, before she stepped into her employer's study. "Captain Latimer" she greeted politely. He turned from his desk to look at her. "Ah. Miss Montague, you're back" he said, sounding rather relieved. Clara smiled and nodded. "In time for Christmas. Apologies for my brief absence. Family illness is so unpredictable. You wanted to see me?" she inquired.

"Francesca has been having nightmares"

"Young girls often do"

"Every night this week, she says. Won't tell me about them"

"Perhaps if you asked her in the right way, there's no one she'd rather tell"

"Children are not really my area of expertise" Latimer admitted, looking uncomfortable. "They are, however, your children" Clara pointed out, wishing she could convince the captain to spend more time with his children, really get to know them; but it would be improper for her to say such things. "You have, if I may say, a remarkable amount of wisdom in these matters, for one so very pretty, Miss Montague" Latimer commented, before quickly adding, "Young, I mean".

Now it was Clara who felt uncomfortable. "I'll see to the children now" she excused herself, and he waved her away. Upon entering the garden, a young boy and his older sister ran up to her with eager smiles. "Miss Montague!" Francesca exclaimed happily. "Miss Montague, you're back!" cried Digby. Clara held up a hand to stop the clamour. "Ah, ah, ah!"

The children calmed down and politely shook hands with her, saying one after the other, "Good morning, Miss Montague".

"Good morning, Francesca. Good morning, Digby. Christmas Eve is the most thrilling day, don't you think? Now, what have you two been up to while I've been away?"

"I did seven drawings and we saw a dead cow" Digby informed her. "Well, how exciting" Clara smiled, a bit forced, not sure how else to respond to that. "Do your secret voice" Digby begged, so she beckoned for them to come closer, and then said in her normal accent, "'Allo, mates". The children giggled. The three of them sat down on a bench, and Clara turned to Francesca with her best comforting smile. "Now then, your father tells me you've been having nightmares" she began.

"They're not exactly nightmares. Just dreams" Francesca told her, not wanting to make a fuss about them. "About our old governess, the one who died" Digby added, "She's haunting Frannie from beyond the grave" he teased, and Francesca scowled at her little brother. Before they could start bickering, Clara inquired, "Haven't you spoken to your father about this?"

"You can't talk about things like that to Daddy" said Franscesca. She missed her mother; she'd been so easy to talk to, if only she hadn't died from pneumonia. "You could try" Clara told her gently, but Francesca was reluctant. "Do you want to see where she died?" asked Digby, sounding happy about something so morbid, which was just typical of him. He led Clara to the frozen pond, and pointed at it. "She fell in there, and then it froze. She was in the ice for days and days. I hated her. She was cross all the time. In Frannie's dream she's still down there, waiting to come back" he explained.

Clara looked at the pond and frowned, suspicious. "Everything else has thawed, but this pond is still frozen" she murmured, remembering the Doctor's warning about how the snow fed off of thoughts. Something occurred to her and she quickly turned to Francesca. "Frannie, this is important. You dream about her. What do you dream?"

"She's cross with me. She says I've been bad, and she's going to come out of the pond and punish me" Francesca explained nervously. Then Clara asked her when the governess in her nightmare said she'd be back, and Francesca replied "She said she'd come back for Christmas. Tonight".

"I think Frannie's gone mad, don't you? I think she needs a doctor" Digby said unsympathetically. _A Doctor…and his wife _thought Clara. At lunchtime, she informed Latimer that she had a pressing errand to run in town, but she would definitely return as soon as possible. The children begged her not to leave. "Now, now, I'm not leaving forever. I'll be back at, let's say, three? Yes, three o clock at the latest" she nodded firmly, stepping into a hansom cab.

At her request, the driver dropped her off near the park where the invisible staircase was hidden. Clara looked around to check the coast was clear, and then jumped for the ladder. She couldn't reach it. Clara tried again, and again, not realising she was attracting an audience. A hand on her shoulder made Clara jump, and look round at a young woman with neatly combed black hair. "You're making a bit of a scene, miss" she said, and Clara felt rather embarrassed when she noticed all the people staring at her.

"I'm looking for the Doctor, and Romana. Do you know about them?" she asked. The other woman looked at her curiously and asked, "Doctor who?" Clara smiled and introduced herself. "I'm Clara".

"I'm Jenny. Come on, I can take you to them". She led Clara to a stately looking home, where they were met by the little bald potato man from the previous night. "Do not attempt to escape or you will be obliterated! May I take your coat?" Strax inquired. Clara glanced at Jenny, who nodded, so she took off her coat and handed it to the Sontaron. He bowed and set about hanging it up.

Jenny showed her into a conservatory, filled with exotic foliage; Clara was glad she'd removed her coat, since it was very warm; and also very crowded. Seated in a peacock chair was a woman with green, scaly skin and a cool, piercing gaze; on her right sat a woman a few years older than Jenny, with black hair done up in a neat bun and a gold and red dress, as well as a man in a casual suit lounging in the chair beside her; and on the scaly woman's right sat Romana and the Doctor; the latter was staring at her, but the former was smiling.

On the floor in the middle, playing with some toys knelt a little girl, younger than Francesca and Digby, with long blonde hair and a little blue dress. "Hello!" she said brightly, looking up when Clara and Jenny entered. She jumped to her feet and walked up to Clara, holding her hand out to shake. "My name's Emily" she introduced herself, and Clara smiled. "I'm Clara. Your parents spoke very highly of you the other night" she told the little girl. Emily beamed… "Wait a minute!" she exclaimed, marching over to the Doctor. "You made a new friend and you didn't tell me? Bad daddy, bad!"

"What? No, I didn't…we're not friends, not really, we barely talked, I don't even know her surname" the Doctor protested in a ramble, trying to fend off his daughter poking him in the stomach. "I don't know yours either; but if you must know, my surname is Oswald" Clara informed him. _Oswald? _Thought Romana, _like…no, it couldn't be…could it? _

The other man stood up and offered his own hand to shake. "I'm the Corsair, and this is Flavia. We're Emily's godparents. Oh, and that's Madame Vastra, she's a Silurian" he explained, before offering her his seat. "I prefer to stand up anyway" he assured her. Clara took a seat, and Madame Vastra held up her wine glass. "There are two refreshments in your world the colour of red wine. This is _not_ red wine" she told Clara, a hint of a warning in her voice.

"Is it cranberry juice?" Emily asked from her father's lap. Clara tried not to laugh; she'd already guessed what the liquid really was, but it was still amusing to see the awkward expression on Vastra's face. "Ah…yes, it is. Now" she cleared her throat and turned back to Clara, "you must have come here for a reason. State it" she said bluntly. Clara decided her best option was to be completely honest and straightforward; Madame Vastra didn't seem like the type to appreciate beating around the bush.

"Okay…I don't just work at that tavern; I'm also a governess for the Latimer family. There I'm known as 'Miss Montague'. The children's old governess drowned in the pond, which then froze over. The thing is, it's frozen now and the rest of the snow thawed last night; also, Frannie's been having nightmares, about the old governess coming back tonight and punishing her. You said the snow mirrors people's thoughts, so I wondered, what if the ice did the same thing? I need your help" she told the Doctor.

"We will give you all the aid we can" Vastra informed her; the Corsair, Flavia and Romana all nodded in agreement. Only the Doctor shook his head. "No, no, I don't want to get involved! It shouldn't have to be our problem, I just want a quiet Christmas, is that too much to ask?"

"What are you talking about?" asked the Corsair, "we've had plenty of quiet Christmases before this. To be honest it was getting kind of boring" he admitted. Emily tugged on her dad's lapel, looking up at him with pleading eyes. "But daddy, you always help people. Please help Clara, please" she begged. The Doctor screwed his eyes shut, trying not to look at her puppy dog eyes. "Please, daddy. Please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please"-

"Oh, alright! Alright, I give in! I'll help" he cried in defeat; Emily gave a delighted cheer and hugged him tightly. "I believe I know the perfect place for you to start investigating" smiled Vastra.


	3. The Snowmen Pt 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who

The Snowmen – Part Three

As Simeon worked in his laboratory, the globe of snow suddenly announced, "Danger, Danger". Simeon quickly ceased in his task and strode over to the globe, demanding "What's wrong?"

"There is danger here. An intelligence; an intelligence beyond anything else in this time and place" the snow warned forebodingly, just as a servant entered through the double doors. "Doctor Simeon, sir. There's someone demanding to see you" the poor man explained nervously. Simeon glared at him. "No callers, not in here, not ever. Did he leave his name?" he questioned. The servant quickly replied, "Sir, it's Sherlock Holmes and John Watson!"

Two figures walked in, one dressed in a deerstalker hat and cape, the other in a brown coat and cap. "Oh, nice office, big globey thing - Now, shut up, don't tell me! I see from your collar stud you have an apple tree and a wife with a limp. Am I right?" the Doctor asked Simeon, pointing at him with a cane. Simeon's lip curled as he said bluntly, "No"

"Do you have a wife?"

"No"

"Bit of a tree? Bit of a wife? Some apples? Come on, work with me here"

"I enjoy The Strand magazine as much as the next man, but I am perfectly aware that Sherlock Holmes is a fictional character, and that his accomplice is _not _a woman!" Simeon snapped, flicking Romana's cap off her head. "Get out!" he ordered, pointing at the doorway. As Romana picked up her cap and took a pin from her hair, the Doctor pointed his cane at the servant and asked "Do you have a goldfish named Colin?"

The servant paused a moment before replying "No"; the Doctor smirked and said "Thought not. Now, ooh. I see this is one of your business cards. It says so on the front" he rambled, holding said card up to Simeon's face. The irascible man snatched it away and demanded "Who are you, and what are you doing here?"

"Mr Holmes? I think this large snow filled globe might be important" Romana commented from where she was standing on the dais. "Excellent deduction, Watson. Wakey, wakey!" the Doctor called, banging on the glass with his cane. Simeon hurried over to stop him. "That is highly valuable equipment. You must step away now".

The snow flurried, and a voice emanated from it. "We are the Intelligence" it intoned, and the Doctor's eyes lit up. "Ooh, talking snow. I love new things" he beamed, making Romana smile along with him. "You are not of this world" the snow stated. "Takes one to snow one" the Doctor replied; he snickered, and looked at Romana, but she just shook her head – she was smiling though. "Right, let's see. Multi-nucleate crystalline organism with the ability to mimic and mirror what it finds. Looks like snow. Isn't snow" he deduced.

"You must leave here now" Simeon insisted impatiently; the Doctor ignored him. "Shut up, I'm making deductions. It's very exciting. Now, what are you, eh? A flock of space crystals? A swarm? The snowmen are foot soldiers, mindless predators. But you, you're the clever one. You're Moriarty. So, you turn up on a planet, you generate a telepathic field to learn what you can, and when you've learnt enough, what do you do? You can't conquer the world using snowmen. Snowmen are rubbish in July. You'll have to be better than that. You'll have to evolve" he rambled.

During this speech, Romana surreptitiously sonicked the doors locked, as Simeon discovered when a servant called "Sir, it appears to be stuck!"

Simeon had called for servants to throw these strangers out, and now he rounded on them with a fierce glare. "What have you done? Have you locked the doors?" he questioned. The Doctor and Romana ignored him. "You need to translate yourself into something more, well, human" the Doctor reasoned. Frustrated, Simeon shouted for the servants to "Kick it down!"

"To do that you'd need a perfect duplicate of human DNA in ice form. Where do you find that?" the Doctor continued, oblivious to the noise from behind the door. "We already know – the woman in the pond, remember?" Romana reminded him of Clara's story – then they remembered that Emily had gone with Clara to meet the children she was a governess for; and if the girl's dream was of her governess returning tonight, then Emily could be in danger.

"Got it, sir!" a servant cried triumphantly from behind the locked doors. "Get in here! Take them downstairs" Simeon commanded; only to find the Doctor and Romana had already left by the French windows.

/

As their carriage trundled with all speed towards Darkover House, Romana reached out telepathically to Flavia and the Corsair. _Listen, we think Clara and the children might be in danger; we'll get the TARDIS to Darkover House, if there's trouble before the Doctor and I get there then hold it off _she directed. Once they'd been relayed these instructions, the four allies hurried to Darkover House.

Vastra and Jenny began to prowl the grounds, keeping an eye out for anything untoward, whilst the Corsair and Flavia went up to the front door and knocked on it. Alice opened the door part way, peering out at the well-dressed man and woman on the doorstep. "Hello, my name is Cory Pond and this is Olivia, we're Emily's godparents. We've come to take her home, may we come in?" the Corsair asked with his most charming smile.

It did the trick, and Alice stepped aside for them to enter the house. "Thank you very much" the Corsair thanked her with a gracious smile, causing Alice to blush slightly. Captain Latimer stepped out of his study and stared at the Time Lords. "Who on Earth are you?" he inquired. The Corsair walked past him, saying "Emily's godparents, picking her up, won't be any bother". Flavia gave the captain a sympathetic, helpless shrug and followed the Corsair upstairs.

The carriage driven by Strax arrived at the house, depositing Romana before moving around to the stable area. The Time Lady hurried to the pond and scanned it, checking the results on her sonic. "So the ice preserves the body, and the snow gets a sort of full body scan of a human being. Everything they'd need to know to evolve…Jenny? What are you doing here?" she asked in surprise, seeing the young woman walk up to her.

"Vastra and I came to help; she's over with Strax, trying to convince him not to use grenades" Jenny explained, before asking "Where's the Doctor?"

"He went to move the TARDIS; he and the Corsair have the most experience flying a TARDIS alone. Where is the Corsair?"

"He and Flavia went inside the house".

"Oh, good; I feel better knowing Emily has people nearby to protect her, even if this turns out to be a false alarm.

/

Whilst her family and their friends were heading for Darkover House, Emily had been having a delightful time playing with Francesca and Digby. "Tell us one of your stories, Miss Montague!" Digby begged, before telling Emily "She says all her stories are true".

"All my stories are true" Clara replied primly. "Like how you were born behind the clock face of Big Ben?" asked Digby.

"Accounting for my acute sense of time"

"And how you invented fish?" Francesca asked dubiously.

"Because I dislike swimming alone"

Emily beamed and revealed, "I have an acute sense of time as well. It's twenty seconds past thirty five minutes past eight o clock" she rattled off without looking at the clock. Clara checked it and said in surprise, "You're right".

"Am I going to have the nightmare tonight?" Francesca asked worriedly. Clara shook her head and replied with certainty, "Definitely not".

"How do you know?" Francesca asked doubtfully, and Emily piped up, "Because my daddy's going to come and help". The other children both looked at her curiously, and Francesca asked "How can he help?"

Emily stood up on the bed and explained eagerly, "My mummy and daddy are heroes, Frannie! They travel around helping people, especially children. I'm going to be a hero like them when I grown up" she claimed with a proud smile. There was a knock on the door, and she turned to it eagerly, calling out "Daddy?"

The Corsair stuck his head around the door. "Guess again" he grinned, coming into the room. "Hello, Emily, Clara, Emily's friends" he greeted as Flavia entered and shut the door behind her. Emily happily introduced the Time Lords. "This is the Corsair and Flavia, they're my godparents; and this is Francesca and Digby, my new friends. What are you doing here?" she asked the Corsair.

"Your folks wanted us to come make sure you were okay" he replied, and Francesca inquired a little fearfully, "Why wouldn't we be okay? Is something happening?" Just then the door handle rattled – and a woman made of ice forced her way into the room. Emily, Digby and Francesca all screamed in fright. "Blooming 'ell" Clara cried in shock, pulling her charges behind her. The Corsair pushed Flavia and Emily behind him. "The children have been very naughty!" the Ice Governess screeched.

The Corsair whipped out his revolver and aimed it at the ice woman, much to Clara's alarm. "Hang about, you've got a _gun_?"

"Well obviously, and if you come a step nearer I will blast you to pieces" the Corsair threatened the Ice Governess. "Naughty, naughty children must be punished!" the Governess squawked, so the Corsair cocked his gun. "Don't say I didn't warn you" he told her, before blasting her right between the eyes. Luckily he hit a weak spot and she shattered into pieces. Unfortunately the pieces almost immediately began to reform. "Oh, see, that's just not fair. Now would be a good time for us to run" the Corsair informed the others.

They scrambled over the beds and out the door, dashing down the stairs as fast as they could. Latimer came out of his study, frowning at the ruckus they were making. "Miss Montague, what is the meaning of all this noise?" he demanded. Without really thinking, Clara pointed at the Corsair and Flavia. "They were kissing" she blurted out, "upstairs. They're married".

Everyone stared at her in bewilderment. "You're not the best liar, are you?" the Corsair commented, just as Romana rushed into the house. "Who the devil are you?" asked Latimer, but Romana just pushed past him and hurried to scoop up Emily, hugging her close. "Oh, Emily, oh sweetheart, are you okay? Are you hurt?" she asked worriedly. Emily shook her head and replied "I'm okay, mummy. The Corsair was really cool; he was all 'bam!' And she was all 'smash!' And now she's reforming".

Romana looked at the Corsair, who nodded in confirmation. Just then the maid, Alice, hurried in to exclaim "Captain Latimer. In the garden, there's snowmen! And they're just growing out of nowhere, all by themselves. Look!" she urged, opening the door…to find Vastra and Jenny sitting there. "Good evening. I'm a Lizard Woman from the Dawn of Time, and this is my wife" Vastra told her calmly. Alice screamed and ran to the back door, where Strax was waiting. "This dwelling is under attack. Remain calm, human scum" he barked. Alice fainted.

"What is going on here?" Latimer demanded, "What do you mean, she isn't the best liar?" he asked the Corsair.

"Well, kissing doesn't usually sound like a gunshot for one, and also, Flavia and I aren't married. We barely tolerate each other".

"You're not? I thought you were"

"What? Eww, why would I marry her?"

"Yes, why would- hey!"

Romana lost patience and whistled loudly, making them all shut up. "Vastra, what's happening?" she asked the Silurian, who answered "The snow is highly localised, and on this occasion not naturally occurring".

"It's coming out of that cab parked by the gates, and Dr Simeon is there as well" Jenny added. Strax suggested "Ma'am, one pulver grenade would blow these snowmen to smithereens". Romana raised an eyebrow at him. "Strax, they're made of _snow. _They're already in pieces, they'll just reform" she pointed out. The Ice Governess lurched into view on the landing above them, screeching "You've been very, _very_ naughty children!" Francesca and Digby hid in terror behind their father, who stared at the Ice Governess in disbelief. "What the deuce is that thing?"

The Corsair explained "That would be an ice monster taking the form of your old governess. Hey Jenny, got anything?" he asked; Jenny threw a small ball which erupted into a force-field on the stairs, blocking the Governess' path. "That should hold it" she said confidently. Strax announced from beside Latimer's study door, "Ma'am, this room. One observational window on the line of attack and one defendable entrance"; Romana, Flavia and Clara quickly shepherded everyone into the study, whilst the Corsair picked up Alice and carried her in as well.

Once they were all inside, Romana turned to Strax and asked "Is this an attack?" The Sontaron stood to attention and swiftly explained "They're not going to attack. They made no attempt to conceal their arrival. An attack force would never abandon surprise so easily, and they're clearly in a defence formation".

"Right, so they must want something. Any ideas, Clara?" she asked the young woman, wanting to get her involved. After all, it was quite clear she could be the next companion, and Romana had no problem with that. "The ice woman" Clara guessed, and Latimer looked at her in confusion. It was Digby though who asked "Why are you calling her Clara? Her name is Miss Montague".

"Yes, but surely you realised she had a first name" said Flavia; the little boy looked sheepish, as if this hadn't actually occurred to him until now. "Okay, since we're about to die anyway, the truth is my name is Clara Oswald, and I'm not really a governess, I'm…a barmaid. Well, I was" Clara admitted to Latimer, who stared at her in bewilderment. "No one is going to die" Romana said firmly, "we just have to keep the ice woman away from Simeon and his Snowmen".

Jenny inquired "Why's she so important?"

"The creature on the stairs is a perfect duplication of human DNA in the form of ice crystals. To survive on Earth when it isn't cold, the snow needs a blueprint, and she's it. She's what they need to become. The pond didn't melt with the snow last night, and neither will she – if the snow gets hold of that thing, it'll make more of her. Earth will be overrun by perpetually angry, frozen, un-melting governesses" the Corsair explained.

The doorbell rang. "Wait here" Romana warned them, before slipping out of the study and walking up to the front door. She took a deep breath and opened it. Simeon was standing there. "Release her to us. You have five minutes" he ordered, before turning away. Romana shut the door and her eyes, as the Doctor sent her a telepathic message. Sorry I'm late dear, the TARDIS is acting up. I don't think she likes moving with a staircase hanging off her. I can't land, you'll have to come up.

Is it okay if I lure a dangerous ice creature after us?

Just so long as you and Emily stay safe…and everyone else of course.

Romana was interrupted by Captain Latimer coming out of his study to ask "Those creatures outside, what are they?" Romana came back into the study and replied "Nothing you need to worry about, Mr Latimer, so long as you stay in here with your children. As for us" she continued, addressing Emily and the other Time Lords, "we're going to meet up with the Doctor".

Emily cheered and ran over to hold her mother's hand. The Corsair and Flavia followed her out, as did Clara. "No, you need to stay here, look after Francesca and Digby" Flavia told her. Clara stubbornly refused to go back into the study. "It's high time their father started looking after them – now come on, what's the plan?" she asked.

"Well, part one is getting past the ice woman" replied Romana, as she picked up Emily. The Corsair pulled out his sonic and aimed it at the force-field, warping the field and using it to push the ice woman hammering on it to the side. They squeezed past in single file, hurrying up the stairs; the Corsair came last and when he stopped aiming his sonic at the force-field, it shorted out and disappeared. Clara grabbed his large hand in her smaller one and pulled him along – well, he let her. "Naughty, naughty children!" the Ice Governess cried.

"Why does she keep saying that?" asked Clara, and the Corsair surmised "It's probably mirroring one of the last things the governess said before she drowned – so does this seem like something you'd want to do more of?" he inquired.

"What, run for my life from an ice woman who wants to eat me alive? Oh yes, this is a dream come true" Clara replied sarcastically. They got to a window and Romana set Emily down to open it. Then she pulled off her bustle. "You two do the same, or you won't fit" she advised Flavia and Clara, who hurriedly removed the bulkier portions of their clothing. They all scrambled through the window and shut it behind them, just as the Ice Governess slammed her fists against it. Romana looked up at the sky and shouted "Doctor!"

To her immense relief, the ladder for the TARDIS dropped down from the sky. "Go on, darling, go all the way up" she urged Emily, before following her daughter up the ladder and then the staircase. Clara was the last to climb the ladder. She looked to see the Ice Governess form in a flurry of snowflakes. "I understand you're the previous governess. I regret to inform you the position is taken. Goodnight" she informed the creature in her best 'proper lady' voice, before climbing the ladder, which began to rise into the air. What she didn't realise is that the Governess was clinging to the bottom rung.


	4. The Snowmen Pt 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who

The Snowmen – Part Four

Clara hurried to catch up with the Corsair, who had gone before her at her own insistence. "So, you lot can control clouds? That cloud?" she half asked, half guessed. "No, not the cloud; we can manipulate the wind a little bit though" the Corsair answered. Clara looked behind her and saw the Ice Governess coming after them. "She's following us".

"Well yeah, how else are we going to keep it away from the snow? Which one are you, anyway? Barmaid or governess?"

"That thing is after us, and you want a chat?"

"Yeah, I have weird priorities. Never mind, we're here now" said the Corsair, as he stepped up onto the cloud. "What am I standing on, what's this made of?" asked Clara; the Corsair pulled out his sonic again and explained "Water vapour supercharged with anti-gravity micro-bots. I'll just increase the frequency here and voila! That should hold her" he said, before striding over to the TARDIS.

"Do you all live up here, in that box?"

"It's not technically a box, and we do live in it, but not up here. We were just here for Christmas"

"How can it not be a box?"

"It's hard to explain, you wouldn't understand"

"Oh, spoken like a man. You know, you're the same as all the rest. Sweet little Clara, works at the Rose and Crown, ideas above her station. Well, for your information, I'm not sweet on the inside, and I'm certainly not…" Clara trailed off as she followed the Corsair into the box, and beheld an enormous room full of technology she'd never seen before, including a large console that the four other adults were already standing around. "…Little" she finished dumbly.

Emily jumped down off a seat and ran over to her. "Clara! Welcome to the TARDIS, that's Time and Relative Dimensions in Space, it's my daddy's time machine" she explained helpfully; Clara just stood there, staring open mouthed. "But it's. Look at it, it's…" she spluttered helplessly. The Doctor smiled from the console – he'd forgotten how much he enjoyed this bit. "Go on, say it. Most people do" he encouraged. Clara ran out the door, and then ran back in again. "It's smaller on the outside" she stated.

The Doctor blinked. "Okay, that is a first" he admitted. Clara moved towards the console, asking "How does it do that? Is it magic?"

"Look bigger inside than out, you mean? Technically it's dimensional engineering, but you call it magic if you want" the Corsair told her.

"Is there a kitchen?"

"There's at least ten, why?" inquired Flavia, and Clara blinked. "I don't know why I asked that. It's just, I like making soufflés" she replied, making both the Doctor and Romana look at her sharply. "Soufflés?" the Doctor asked. Clara didn't hear him; instead she asked "Why are you showing me all this?"

Romana looked at the Doctor, who sighed and nodded slightly. "Well, we want you to come with us. Travel with us through time and space" she invited Clara, who stared at her in surprise. "Why me?" she asked. Before anyone could answer however, Emily screamed. The Doctor and Romana spun round to find the Ice Governess had somehow got aboard the TARDIS and was carrying Emily out through the open doors. "Daddy! Mummy!" she cried out in terror.

On impulse, Clara rushed forward and grabbed the arm of the ice woman, trying to prise it off of Emily. "No! Clara, let go!" the Doctor called out, as the Ice Governess dragged his daughter and newest companion across the cloud. "I can't, I'm stuck! Help me!" Clara screamed as she tumbled off the cloud, as did Emily. The Doctor hurriedly pulled out his sonic and activated a teleport inside Emily's bracelet.

The little girl reappeared in the TARDIS, falling into her mother's arms. "It's okay, you're safe" Romana soothed, as Emily clung to her tightly. The Doctor hurried back in, making sure to close the doors behind him, and rushed up to the console. "Come on, we might still be able to save Clara" he urged. They materialised in the courtyard of Darkover House…around Clara's body. The Corsair knelt beside her, and placed his fingers on her neck…then he looked up at the others solemnly.

Emily burst into tears, and buried her face in Romana's shoulder. The Doctor hung his head; he'd only just started to remember how he missed having a companion, and now she'd been killed, and he felt like a failure. _You're not a failure, Theta_ Romana told him, before adding, _We should take her inside. Vastra might have something that could revive her. _

So they dematerialised, and then re-materialised inside the study. The Corsair carried Clara out and laid her on the table, atop several cushions. Without a word he looked at Vastra, who in turn looked at Strax. The Sontaron gave a short nod of understanding and stepped forward, holding a device over Clara. It whirred, showing first a flat-line, and then the spikes of a weak heartbeat. Clara' chest began to rise and fall, but shallow, like she didn't have the strength to breathe more.

Standing in the corner with Alice and his children, Latimer questioned "_She_ said Miss Mon- Clara, was dead. How can she be alive now?"

"This technology has capacities and abilities beyond anything your puny human mind could possibly understand" Strax replied bluntly, before adding "Try not to worry".

Emily sniffled, dried tears covering her cheeks. "I'm sorry" she whimpered, "It's all my fault. She was trying to help me". Romana held her close and shushed her. "No, no, it's not your fault sweetheart" she soothed, stroking Emily's hair. Flavia and Jenny came to comfort her as well, whilst Vastra walked into the TARDIS, to find the Doctor examining the shattered remains of the ice woman.

"Isn't the creature still a danger? It could reform" she pointed out as she shut the door behind her. "No, not in here" the Doctor replied; there was a clatter from the level below them, and he revealed "The Corsair's just looking for something for us to put this in – can't have chunks of ice all over the floor, it's a health hazard".

Vastra hesitated, and then informed the Doctor, "Your daughter believes Miss Clara's death is her fault". His expression somehow became softened and darkened at the same time. "I know, but it's not; and besides, Clara's not dying. She can't" he said firmly.

"Doctor, Strax's technology can bring back anyone short term, but with injuries as severe as hers…"

"She _can't _die, Vastra. If she does then I'll have let her down. Just like I let down"- the Doctor cut himself off, and Vastra decided that was her cue to return to the others. Not long after she'd exited the TARDIS did the Time Lords re-emerge, with the Corsair carrying a metal 'London Underground' souvenir lunchbox.

The Doctor went straight to Romana and Emily, who were standing beside Clara's head. He kissed them both on the temple, before looking down at Clara, whose eyes flickered open. "Hey. Hello" he smiled at her. Weakly, she murmured "They all think I'm going to die, don't they?" she asked. Emily said sadly from her mother's arms, "I'm sorry, Clara. I didn't mean to get you hurt". Clara's lips turned up in a small smile. "I'm the one who grabbed onto that thing" she muttered, "It's not your fault".

Then she looked at the Doctor and Romana. "Emily said you were heroes, that you saved people. Are you going to save us?" she asked, and they knew she meant humanity. Romana asked quietly, "If we save you too, will you come with us?"

"Yes"

"Well then, Merry Christmas" the Doctor sighed, straightening his bowtie. He looked at Romana and told her "You stay here with Emily and Flavia. The Corsair, and Vastra and I will take care of Simeon". He kissed Emily once more on the forehead, before turning on his heel and beckoning for the Corsair to follow him. They went up to the front door, and opened it to find Simeon waiting for him. The Corsair wondered if he ever had an expression on his face other than the 'eating a lemon' look.

The Doctor pointed at the lunchbox in the Corsair's hands. "We have here a piece of the Ice Lady. Everything you need to know about how to make ice people. Is that what you want? See you at the office" he told Simeon, before unceremoniously shutting the door in his face. The two Time Lords and Vastra entered the TARDIS. "I presume you have a plan?" asked the Silurian. "You know the Doctor doesn't do plans" said the Corsair, "he does things".

"Yes, and this thing, if I say so myself, is rather brilliant"

"Well, what is it? How do you plan to defeat Dr Simeon?"

"With a bit of misdirection" the Doctor replied mysteriously as the TARDIS landed. He took the lunch box from the Corsair and the three of them strode out of the TARDIS into the laboratory. There they waited for Simeon to arrive. "You promised us something. Have you brought it?" he demanded as he entered the room.

Rather than answer, the Doctor nodded over at the large glass globe. "Big fella here's been very quiet while you've been out. Which is only to be expected, considering who he really is. Do you know what this is, big fella?" he asked the globe, holding up the lunchbox.

"I do not understand these markings"

"A map of the London Underground, 1967. Key strategic weakness in metropolitan living, if you ask me, but then I have never liked a tunnel" the Doctor commented, passing the lunchbox back to Vastra. The Corsair had moved to shut and lock the doors, ensuring they wouldn't have any unnecessary interruptions. "Enough of this. We are powerful, but on this planet we are limited. We need to learn to take human form" the Intelligence asserted.

The Doctor aimed his sonic at the globe as it continued talking. "The Governess is our most perfect replication of humanity" it said, its voice rising in pitch. "What's happening to its voice?" asked Vastra.

"Just stripping away the disguise"

"No, stop! Stop that. Cease, I command you!"

"It sounds like a child"

"Of course it sounds like a child. It is a child. Simeon as a child. The snow has no voice without him"

"Don't listen to him, he's ruining everything"

The Doctor turned to Simeon. "How long has the Intelligence been talking to you?" he asked, and a slightly unnerved looking Simeon answered, "I was a little boy. He was my snowman. He spoke to me".

"But the snow doesn't talk, does it. It's just a mirror. It just reflects back everything we think and feel and fear. You poured your darkest dreams into a snowman and look, look what it became" the Doctor told Simeon, who stared at the globe with something like alarm in his face. "I don't understand" he protested. The Doctor pointed at the globe and elucidated, "It's a parasite feeding on the loneliness of a child and the sickness of an old man. Carnivorous snow meets Victorian values and something terrible is born".

"We can go on and do everything we planned" the Intelligence cried in its child-like voice. "Oh yes, and what a plan. A world full of living ice people. Oh dear me, how very Victorian of you" the Doctor remarked, and Simeon glared at him, insulted. "What's wrong with Victorian values?" he demanded, striding over and snatching the box from Vastra's hands. "Ah, ah, ah, are you sure?" the Doctor asked him. Simeon pulled the box open, saying "I have always been sure"…but rather than seeing ice, he saw a large worm, which promptly bit him.

"First rule with us, expect the unexpected!" the Corsair announced grandly, "the majority of your life is being erased, and without you, Frosty here has nothing to mirror – and without the ice woman, it has no form".

"What, what, what's happening? What's happening? What did you do?"

"Like he said, you've got nothing left to mirror any more. Goodbye"

"What did you, did you… Did you really think it would be so easy?" the Intelligence asked, its voice deepening again. The Time Lords stared at it in disbelief. "That's not possible. How is that possible?" asked the Doctor. Concerned, Vastra asked them what was wrong. "The snow was just an echo, a reflection of Simeon. It's not real, he dreamed it, it shouldn't exist on its own" explained the Corsair.

"Now the dream outlives the dreamer and can never die. Once I was the puppet," the Intelligence stated, as Simeon got to his feet, half frozen and staring at nothing, "Now I pull the strings! I tried so long to take on human form. By erasing Simeon, you made space for me. I fill him now" it revealed. Simeon lurched towards the Doctor. "Hey! I wouldn't try anything, if I were you" the Corsair warned, aiming his gun at Simeon.

"Fool. Simeon is nothing but an empty shell, in my control he cannot die" the Intelligence boasted, shoving Vastra aside and grabbing both Time Lords by the throat. They both cried out, struggling desperately. "Do you feel it? Winter is coming! Winter is coming!" the Intelligence cried as Simeon's touch began to freeze the Doctor and the Corsair.

/

Back at Darkover House, Romana shivered and gasped. _Romana…I'm sorry…I love you _the Doctor told her, his mental voice weakening. _No, no, Theta fight it, you can do it, please. _"No, you must fight" said Strax, and she looked up sharply, but then realised he was addressing Clara, "Hang on and fight, boy. You can do it".

Clara turned her head with great effort to look at Captain Latimer. "Captain Latimer. Your children. They're afraid. Hold them" she murmured. Latimer glanced at his son and daughter, who were cowering besides Alice, and back to Clara. "It's not really my area" he said nervously. "It is now" Clara told him quietly, a single tear running down her cheek as her eyes closed. Fearing the worst, first Emily, then Francesca and Digby began to cry. The adults followed suit, tears filling their eyes. Outside, the snow cloud became a thunderstorm. Romana felt the Doctor's strength return, and her own with it.

/

The globe became filled with water, and Simeon collapsed to the floor, releasing the Doctor and the Corsair. "What's happening?" the Intelligence demanded. "Doctor, the globe. It's turning to rain. All of it, the snow, look" Vastra called from the window, "what is happening?" she asked. The Doctor and Corsair stepped over Simeon's dead body and joined her at the window. "The snow mirrors, that's all it does. It's mirroring something else now. Something so strong, it's drowning everything else" explained the Doctor.

He opened the window and held out his hand. "There was a critical mass of snow at the house. If something happened there…" He licked the tips of his fingers, and Vastra did the same. "It's salty. Salt water rain" she realised. "It's not raining" said the Doctor, "It's crying. The only force on Earth that could drown the snow; a whole family crying on Christmas Eve"

They went back to the TARDIS, and soon had returned to the others. The Doctor hurried to embrace Romana and Emily, before moving to Clara. "I'm sorry. There was nothing to be done. She has moments only" Strax said solemnly. He moved aside to let the Corsair and Flavia approach on Clara's other side. Emily held her hand. "Thank you for everything, Clara. We couldn't have done this without you" Romana told her gently.

The Doctor nodded. "You tried to save our daughter's life. We'll always be grateful to you for that" he said seriously. Emily gave Clara's hand a small squeeze and said in a small voice, "Thank you for trying to save me, Clara. I wish you could come with us".

"So do we; for what it's worth, you would have made a brilliant companion" the Doctor told her, and Romana added "I can vouch for that". Clara smiled at them, this little family she'd helped save the world with on Christmas Eve. "Run. Run you clever boy, you caring girl, and remember me" she murmured with her final breath. The clock chimed midnight. "It's Christmas" Digby said quietly, "Christmas Day".

/

A few days later, Clara was buried in the local cemetery. Captain Latimer, holding the hands of his son and daughter, led them to the grave to pay their respects. "And what about the Intelligence? Melted with the snow?" Vastra asked the Doctor, who replied "No, I shouldn't think so. It learned to survive beyond physical form".

Jenny smiled slightly. "Well, we can't be in much danger from a disembodied Intelligence that thinks it can invade the world with snowmen" she pointed out, and Vastra continued, "Or that the London Underground is a key strategic weakness". The Doctor took out one of Simeon's business cards from his pocket. 'The Great Intelligence Institute' it read. "The Great Intelligence. Rings a bell. The Great Intelligence" he muttered.

"Maybe you've fought it before, in your past, its future" Romana suggested, and the Doctor nodded as memories resurfaced. "Yeah, in my second incarnation…what are the odds of it turning up now?" he asked rhetorically. The Latimer family had moved away from the grave, so the Doctor, Romana and Emily went to pay their respects. Then they saw the inscription on the gravestone. "I don't believe it" Romana said, stunned.

"Romana?" Flavia asked curiously. Romana turned to her and revealed, "Clara's full name is Clara _Oswin _Oswald. Her last words…were Oswin's last words".

"It was soufflé girl again. We never saw her face the first time with the Daleks, but her voice, it was the same voice".

"I don't understand" said Vastra, but the Doctor kept on talking regardless. "The same woman, twice, and she died both times. The same woman!" he exclaimed, his mind already racing. "Doctor, please, what are you talking about?" the Silurian insisted. The Doctor beamed excitedly. "Something's going on. Something impossible, something… Right, we've got to get going. You two stay here. Stay right here. Don't move an inch" he told Vastra and Jenny.

"Are you coming back?" asked Vastra as the Time Lords hurried away. "I doubt it!" the Corsair called over his shoulder. "But where are you going?"

"To find her. To find Clara. Ha, ha, ha!"

Jenny frowned in confusion. "But Clara's dead. What's he talking about, finding her?" she asked Vastra as they approached the grave. The stone read 'Clara Oswin Oswald. Remember me, we shall meet again. Born November 23 1866, died December 24, 1892'. "I don't know" the Silurian admitted, before smiling "but the Doctor once said that impossible things are sometimes miracles…"

/

Back in the TARDIS, the Time Lords flew the TARDIS as Emily clung to the railing, laughing joyfully. "Clara Oswin Oswald!" the Doctor cheered, as her picture appeared on the monitor, "Watch us run".


	5. The Bells of Saint John Pt 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who

The Bells of Saint John – Part One

It was March 2013, and a young man named Nabile was sending out a warning. "Danger: This is a warning, a warning to the whole world. You're looking for Wi-Fi. Sometimes you see something" he said, holding up a card with strange, alien like symbols on it, "A bit like this. Don't click it. Do not click it. Once you've clicked it, they're in your computer. They can see you. And they can see you, they might choose you. And if they do, you die.

"For twenty four hours, you're dead…for a while. People's souls are being uploaded to the internet. And some people get stuck. Their minds, their souls, in the Wi-Fi. Like echoes, like ghosts. Sometimes you can hear their screams on the radio, on the telly, on the net. This is real. This is not a hoax"

_I don't know where I am! _

"Or a joke, or a story"

_I don't know where I am! _

"This is real, and I know that, because… I don't know where I am. Please, please, if you can hear me, if you can hear me, I don't know where I am!"

_I don't know where I am! I don't know where I am! I don't know where I am! _

/

Far in the past, Cumbria 1207, a young monk, whose name was Paul, rode up to a monastery and hammered on the doors. When a fellow monk opened them, he said immediately, "Wake the Abbot. The bells of Saint John are ringing". The other monk allowed him into the courtyard, and he hurried to rouse the Abbot from his chambers. Upon hearing Paul's explanation, the Abbot swiftly led the way to the chambers of their visitors.

"They call him the mad monk, don't they?" asked Paul as he followed the Abbot down a tunnel. "They shouldn't. He's definitely not a monk" the Abbot replied, before adding "Most monks do not have a wife and a child", much to Paul's surprise. He knew the supposed mad man had arrived with four others, including two women and a young girl, all seeking sanctuary – or so he'd claimed. Paul had no idea he was the father of the child, in fact none of them looked like her parents, being all brown haired whilst she had blonde.

Paul and the Abbot arrived in a candlelit room, empty but for one man pondering an image on a canvas. "Ahem. I'm sorry to intrude, but the bells of Saint John are ringing" the Abbot informed him, and the young man in monk's robes turned to announce, "We're going to need some horses". He turned on his heel and went deeper into the chambers, whilst Paul and the Abbot regarded the painting he'd been staring at; a young woman with long brown hair, and a sentence – 'Run you clever boy, you caring girl, and remember'. "Is that her?" asked Paul.

"The woman twice dead, and her final message" the Abbot confirmed, "They were drawn to this place of peace and solitude that they might divine her meaning. If they truly are mad, then this is their madness".

/

Back in the present, Clara Oswald was pacing around a kitchen with her mobile pressed to her ear. She looked at it impatiently and asked a teenage girl nearby, "Angie? Is the internet working? Trying to phone the helpline, they won't answer" she explained, holding up her phone. Angie shrugged unconcernedly. "It's working for me" she replied.

"Can I use it when you're finished?" asked Clara, and Angie rolled her eyes. "More than one person can use the internet at a time, Clara" she said, something she thought was obvious. Why did her nanny have to be so daft? Clara then asked "You done your homework?"; Angie scowled and snapped "Shut up, you're not my mum".

Clara gave her an understanding look. "And I'm not trying to be" she reassured the teen, not that Angie paid any attention. Angie's father, George Maitland, walked in along with her little brother Artie, who handed his dad's car keys to him. "Right, yes" George nodded, before turning to Clara, "Angie's probably fine on her own. You can probably have the night off" he told her. Clara smiled at him and said "I'm okay. I'll be upstairs when I figure out my computer".

"Anyway, the adverts are in, so hopefully we'll find someone" said George; after his wife died from cancer just a year ago, Clara had offered to help take care of Angie and Artie. She was a good nanny, but George felt guilty for keeping her with them when she ought to be out enjoying her life and travelling. Clara didn't mind though; she was happy to do her part. "I'm here as long as you need me" she promised George, who smiled and nodded. "Good. Right, come along, Artie. Time to go" he beckoned.

Clara noticed Artie was holding a book, and held a hand out to him; he gave her the book and she looked at the cover. It was one of her favourite novels, 'Summer Falls' by Amelia Pond-Williams. She gave it back to Artie and asked "What chapter are you on?"

"Ten"

"Eleven is the best. You'll cry your eyes out"

"Artie!" George called from the hall. Artie hurried away and Clara returned to calling the helpline, to no avail. "Oh, come on! Just answer. Pick it up. Pick it up. Pick it up" she huffed as she went upstairs to the attic, which had been converted into a bedroom for her. Sitting down at her laptop, Clara brought up the list of available Wi-Fi connections. There were only two on the screen – the Maitland_Family network, and a bunch of weird symbols.

/

The Time Lords arrived on horseback at a cavern, in which was hidden the TARDIS…the phone of which was ringing. Not the one on the console, but the phone on the outside, the one that wasn't supposed to be connected. "That is not supposed to happen" the Doctor said warily. His daughter showed no such caution, going right up to the phone and standing on tiptoes, stretching up to reach it. She managed to knock it off the stand, and the mouthpiece hung down from a cord. "Hello!" she spoke into it brightly.

"Ah, hello. I can't find the internet" said a voice that sounded like…Miss Clara's! Emily gasped, and looked back at her parents. "It's her! It's Clara!" she said excitedly. Romana came over and picked up the phone, putting it to her ear. "Hello? Are you still there?" the person on the other end asked. Romana had been thinking about Clara's voice for ages now, and this _did _sound like her…but she still had to make sure. "I'm sorry, that was my daughter. Can I ask why you're calling, miss…?"

"Clara Oswald, and the internet is gone. Can't find it anywhere. Where is it?"

"The internet?" Romana repeated in bewilderment. She glanced up at the others, who were staring at her questioningly, and held up a hand to tell them to wait. "Yes, the internet. Why don't I have the internet?" asked Clara.

"Err, can I ask where you got this number from?"

"The woman in the shop wrote it down. It's a help line, isn't it? She said it's the best help line out there. In the universe, she said"

"Did you get her name?"

"No, she was just a woman in a shop. So why isn't there internet? Shouldn't it just sort of… be there?"

"Well, have you tried clicking on the Wi-Fi Connections list on your computer?"

"Um, yeah"

"You should be seeing a list of connection names. Is there one there you recognise?"

"Yeah…it's asking me for a password. Oh, hang on"

Seeing Romana talk to someone who was apparently not there, Paul nervously asked "Is it an evil spirit?" – The Doctor looked back at him and replied, "It's a woman", prompting the monk to cross himself. The Corsair smirked. "I know how you feel" he said to Paul, making Flavia narrow her eyes at both of them.

"Hang on a mo," Romana heard Clara say, "Run, you clever boy, you caring girl, and remember, one"-

"That's it!" Romana cried out, quickly clapping a hand over her mouth. She hadn't meant to say that out loud. "Don't shout. Now you've made me type it wrong. It's thrown me out again. What do I do? How do I get back in?" asked Clara, but Romana didn't reply. She put the phone back and turned to the Doctor. "It's definitely Clara, if we can trace the call, then we've found her" she told him with certainty. The Doctor beamed, going back to Paul and shaking his hand vigorously. "Thanks for all your help, it's much appreciated, say goodbye to the Abbot for us" he rambled.

Emily waved to Paul as her mum led her into the TARDIS. "Bye Paul! It was really nice meeting you!" When all five of them had entered the box, it disappeared with a strange, unearthly roar. Paul stood there stunned for a few moments, before crossing himself and walking out of the cave. He had five horses to return to the monastery.

/

Clara clicked on the other Wi-Fi connection, the weird looking one, by mistake. Before she could amend it, the doorbell began ringing. She sighed and went downstairs to answer it, hearing the person hammer on the door as well. "Hello? Yes, I hear you. Yep, uh huh" – Clara pulled open the door to find a man in brown robes standing on the doorstep. "Hello" she said politely. The man beamed at her. "Clara. Clara Oswald" he stated, weirding her out even more. "Hello" she repeated, less sure this time.

"Clara Oswin Oswald"

"Just Clara Oswald. What was that middle one?"

"Do you remember us?" the man asked, moving aside to reveal a young woman and a little girl in old fashioned clothes; the little girl beamed at Clara as well and said "Hi Clara! You remember me, don't you?" she asked eagerly. Clara was about to say no, but then she paused. "Hang on, aren't you…aren't you the kid who answered the helpline?" she asked. The man spoke up, saying "Yes, that's us, the help-line people. I'm the Doctor, this is my wife Romana, and our daughter Emily. So, err, do you remember anyone like us? At all?"

Clara shook her head. "Never met you before in my life" she asserted, before inquiring "Doctor who?"

"No, just the Doctor. Actually, sorry, could you start all that again?"

"Could I what?"

"He wants you to say 'doctor who' again" Emily explained helpfully. Clara gave the Doctor an odd look and repeated, "Doctor who?"

"Okay, just once more"

"…Doctor who?"

"Ooh, yeah. Ooh. Do you know, I never realised how much I enjoy hearing that said out loud" the Doctor told the woman, before saying to Clara, "Thank you". By now she was convinced the man was a nutter, so she simply said, "Okay", and shut the door in their faces. Then she felt bad – the bloke might be weird, but his wife seemed pretty normal. There were three short knocks on the door. Clara opened it again, to see the Doctor's wife – Romana, was it? – smiling at her. "I'm sorry about that, my husband is a bit…easily distracted" she apologised.

"It's alright…sorry I shut the door in your face; that was rude" Clara apologised sheepishly. Romana smiled and said "It's quite alright. Listen, we need to talk to you, but I realise we look very odd right now…you were having trouble with your Wi-Fi, weren't you?" she asked Clara, who nodded. "Why don't you bring your laptop down here whilst we go and change into something more comfortable" she suggested. Clara thought about it and agreed, so Romana told her the Doctor would come back soon and help with her Wi-Fi problem. "Trust him; he's good with that sort of thing".

Romana moved away from the door, and Clara shut it behind her. She made to go upstairs, but then heard a creak and a door closing. Puzzled, she called out "Angie? Angie, you upstairs? Angie, you still here?" It wasn't Angie who appeared however, but a young girl who looked rather familiar.

"…Hello"

"Hello"

"Are you a friend of Angie's?"

"I'm a friend of Angie's"

"What were you doing upstairs?"

"I was upstairs"

"…I know you, don't I?"

"You know me, don't you" the girl stated blankly. Clara began to remember where she'd seen the girl – on the cover of the 'Summer Falls' novel – when the girl began to turn her head slowly. Much to Clara's alarm, her head turned all the way around – it was metallic and concave on the back, like a spoon. The girl was a robot. Clara stared at it in shock, mouth agape. A beam of light flew out of the robot, engulfing her; she found herself in what looked like the Maitland's hall, except in some sort of bubble, with images flickering around it. "Where am I?" she called out.

/

The Doctor, Romana and Emily returned, now dressed in modern (and rather more comfortable) clothes. The Doctor knocked on the door, a bit less vigorously this time, and called "Ah ha! Clara! Clara?"

"Hello?"

The Doctor grinned. "It's us again! De-monked, sensible clothes, can we come in now?" he asked hopefully. There was a pause, and then Clara replied "I don't understand". Puzzled, the Doctor was about to remind her why they were there, but Romana stopped him. Something in the girl's voice made her pause. "Clara, is something wrong?"

"I don't know…"

"Clara?"

"…where I am. I don't know where I am. Where am I? Please tell me where I am. I don't know where I am" Clara said, sounding more and more afraid. Realising something was very wrong, the Doctor tried the door handle – it wasn't locked, so he opened the door and stepped inside. Clara was lying on the floor by the stairs, seemingly unconscious, but her voice was emanating from an image on the concave surface of a robot. "I don't know where I am. I don't know where I am. I don't understand. I don't know where I am! I don't understand. I don't know where I am!" she repeated over and over.

Emily looked at the robot nervously. "Daddy, what is that?" she asked; the Doctor pulled out his sonic and aimed it at the robot, scanning it. The robots disguise fell away. "Walking base station, walking Wi-Fi base station; hoovering up data, hoovering up people" the Doctor explained, before adding "There's a laptop upstairs, in the attic, can you fetch it?" he asked Romana, who nodded and squeezed past the robot.

The Doctor knelt down beside Clara and felt her pulse, but there wasn't one. Alarmed, but trying not to show it, he scanned her. Emily watched anxiously from the sidelines. "Is Clara okay?" she asked. The Doctor sighed and explained, "The robot, it's…absorbed all her brainwaves, memories…everything that makes Clara, Clara is trapped inside that thing" he said, pointing at the robot. They could see the image of Clara looking around, panicked, still calling out "Hello? I don't know where I am! Where am I? I don't know where I am!"

Emily wondered if Clara could hear them in there. "Clara! It's me, Emily! Can you hear me?!" she called up at the image in the robots head, but Clara didn't respond. Just then Romana returned with the laptop, handing it to the Doctor, who began to swiftly type in commands. "Oh no, you don't. Oh, no, no, no, no, no. Not this time, Clara, I promise" he muttered as he worked.

To their relief, a beam of energy at last shot from the robot to Clara, and her image vanished from its head as she gasped, breathing again but not waking up, at least not fully. The Doctor smiled at Romana and Emily, before checking Clara over. "Okay. It's okay, it's okay. You're fine. You're back. Yes, you are. Oh yes, you are" he smiled in relief. The Corsair appeared in the doorway. "Hey, are you guys…what happened?" he asked, seeing Clara on the floor and the robot.

"Clara's mind got sucked into a robot but daddy got it to spit her back out again" explained Emily; the Corsair raised an eyebrow at the Doctor, who nodded. "The robot should be deactivated now…can you take it off our hands whilst we put Clara here to bed?" he asked. The Corsair heaved the robot over his shoulder and carried it out to the TARDIS. The Doctor picked up Clara and followed Romana up to her bedroom, laying her down on the bed.

/

Later that evening Ms Kizlet, the woman behind the downloading, was pacing in her office when her second-in-command, a man named Mahler, entered the room. "Well?" she inquired, wanting to know what the situation was after someone managed to reverse an upload, something that was supposed to be impossible. "Our hackers sent us a message" he told her, making Kizlet frown slightly at his use of the plural – it had appeared that the upload was reversed by one person.

Mahler brought the message up on a large screen. 'UNDER OUR PROTECTION- The Quartet' it read. ": I assume they're talking about the girl" Mahler figured. His superior however, felt a twinge of realisation. "Get out. I have to speak to the client" she said sternly. When Mahler had left, Kizlet changed channels on the screen. "Sir; The ones you told me about, they're here. The Time Quartet is here"


	6. The Bells of Saint John Pt 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who and I never will

The Bells of Saint John – Part Two

When Clara came to, she was surprised to find herself in bed, with some water and Jammy Dodgers on the table beside her. According to her watch it was nine pm – she'd slept nearly the entire day! Clara sat up, and memories came back to her in a rush. The family on her doorstep, the girl on the stairs…something compelled her to move to her window and peer down into the garden. The Doctor and Romana were sitting there, Emily upon her father's lap; there were two more people there that Clara didn't recognise. There was an empty chair there as well.

She opened the window and leaned out. "Hello?" she called down; they looked up and the Doctor smiled at her. "Hello! Are you all right?" he asked, sounding genuinely concerned. "I'm in bed" Clara replied blankly, still a bit disoriented. "Actually you're standing by a window" said the other man, before adding "I'm the Corsair, and this is Flavia. We're Emily's godparents, and no, we're not married".

Clara quirked an eyebrow. "I didn't say you were" she pointed out, before inquiring "What did I miss?"

The Doctor pulled out a notebook and began to flick through it. "Oh, quite a lot, actually" he informed Clara, "Angie called, she's going to stay over at Nina's. Apparently that's all completely fine and you shouldn't worry like you always do, for god's sake get off her back. Also, your dad phoned, mainly about the government. He seems very cross with them, I've got several pages on that. I said we'd look into it. The Corsair fixed that rattling noise in the washing machine, Flavia indexed the kitchen cupboards, Romana and Emily optimised photosynthesis in the main flower bed and I assembled a quadricycle".

"Assembled a what?"

"I found a disassembled quadricycle in the garage"

"I don't think you did"

"…I _invented _the quadricycle. Ha! High five" the Doctor grinned down at Emily, holding his palm up. She high fived him, giggling, and Clara smiled for a moment before something else occurred to her. "What happened to me?" she asked.

"Don't you remember?"

"I was scared, really scared. Didn't know where I was"

"Do you know now?"

"Yes"

"Well then, you should go to sleep. Because you're safe now, I promise. Goodnight, Clara" the Doctor smiled. Clara eyed them suspiciously for a moment before moving away from the window – but then she came right back. "Are you lot guarding me?" she asked. The four of them looked at each other. "Well, yes, I suppose we are" Romana admitted. Clara raised an eyebrow. "Are you seriously going to sit down there all night?" she inquired.

"Well, we probably will, but Emily here has to go to bed in half an hour" replied the Corsair, prompting Emily to stick her tongue out at him. Clara chuckled. "Well then, I'll have to come to you" she decided, leaving the window. She came out five minutes later with a tray of mugs, and held it out so they could take a mug each. "Thank you, Clara. You have a very nice house" Romana complimented as she took a white and yellow mug. "It isn't mine" explained Clara, "I'm a friend of the family".

"But you look after the kids - Oh yes, you're a governess, aren't you, just like"- the Doctor winced as the Corsair stepped on his foot, and shot him a warning look. Clara glanced between the two men and looked puzzled. "Just like what?"

"Just like...we thought you probably would be" the Doctor replied awkwardly. Clara had other things on her mind however. "Are you going to explain what happened to me?"

Emily replied in her own straightforward way, "Your mind got sucked into this robot here, and then my daddy got it to send your mind back into your body. Tell her why she got sucked in" she begged her dad, who looked at Clara very seriously and explained, "There's something in the Wi-Fi". It didn't sound like he was pulling her leg, and Clara's curiosity was piqued. "Okay…" she said slowly, waiting for him to elaborate.

"This whole world is swimming in Wi-Fi. We're living in a Wi-Fi soup. Suppose something got inside it. Suppose there was something living in the Wi-Fi, harvesting human minds, extracting them. Imagine that. Human souls trapped like flies in the world-wide web. Stuck forever, crying out for help" the Doctor elucidated. "Isn't that basically Twitter?" Clara asked sarcastically, taking a sip of tea. When she looked up, the adults were looking at her oddly – Emily was just playing with a piece of the robot. "What're those looks for?" she asked.

Romana explained, "If a computer can affect another computer, maybe whatever is in the Wi-Fi, taking human minds, can change them, edit them as it were". Clara frowned slightly in confusion. "Why would you say that?"

"Because a few hours ago you knew nothing about the internet - and you just made a joke about _Twitter_" the Doctor pointed out, and Clara blinked in realisation. "Oh. Oh, that's weird. I know all about computers now in my head. Where did all that come from?" she wondered, looking puzzled. "You were uploaded for a while. Wherever you were, you brought something extra back, which I very much doubt you'll be allowed to keep" explained the Doctor, as the Time Lords looked around warily.

The Corsair pointed at a man standing, staring at them, from beside a lamp-post across the street. "Okay Clara, into the box, now" the Doctor said firmly, setting Emily down and ushering her towards the TARDIS. "I'm sorry?" asked Clara, looking at the time machine in bewilderment. "Go in the box" the Corsair repeated, gesturing to it. "Yeah, it's really cool, come and look!" Emily added enthusiastically, before she and Romana stepped inside the TARDIS.

"Wait, we won't all fit in there" Clara protested, "I bet I will. What is that box, anyway? Why have you got a box? Is it like a snogging booth?" she asked the Doctor, who spluttered. "It could be" the Corsair grinned flirtatiously at her. "It isn't" Flavia said firmly, "Clara, just come in the box" she added, before stepping in herself. Lights began to go on in the houses all around them, illuminating the night. "Clara, look around you" the Doctor said urgently, trying to convince her there was real danger here.

"What's going on?" she asked, confused, "What's happening? Is the Wi-Fi switching on the lights?"

"The lights aren't controlled by Wi-Fi – the people are. _They're _the ones turning on the lights" explained the Corsair. They looked at the man on the other side of the road, whose head spun round to reveal that spoon like back. "What is that thing?" asked Clara, staring at it. "A walking base station. You saw one earlier" the Doctor reminded her. "I saw a little girl" Clara insisted, more to convince herself than anything else. "It must have taken an image from your subconscious, thrown it back at you. Ah! Active camouflage, they could be everywhere" the Doctor revealed.

"We've got bigger problems, Doctor. Look", the Corsair pointed behind Clara's house, where the lights were going out in other parts of the area. "What's going on?" asked Clara, "Our lights are on and everyone else's off. Why?"

"Some planes have Wi-Fi"

"I'm sorry?"

"We must be one hell of a target right now" said the Doctor, and they all looked up at the sky. The blinking lights of an aeroplane were heading towards them at an alarming speed. "Okay, that's it. Come on Clara" the Corsair said determinedly, taking her by the arm and pulling her into the TARDIS. The Doctor pushed past her and followed him to the console. "Yes, it's a spaceship. Yes, it's bigger on the inside. No, we don't have time to talk about it" he rattled off, not needing to look at Clara to know she was absolutely gob-smacked.

But, but, but, but it's…" Clara spluttered, still clutching her mug of tea. "It's cool, isn't it?" asked Emily, beaming from her place on what looked like a car seat, complete with seatbelt. "Bigger on the inside. Actually bigger" Clara managed to say, stumbling as the TARDIS landed with a thump. "Right, stay here" the Doctor instructed, heading towards the door with Romana. "You're going to go back out there?" Clara asked in disbelief.

"He did say it was a spaceship, Clara" Flavia reminded her with a pointed look, "we've moved".

"Away from the plane?"

"Not exactly" - the Doctor and Romana left the TARDIS, and Clara followed them…right onto a plane. "How did we get here?" she asked in bewilderment. "We moved, it's all very science-y, and I told you to stay there!" the Doctor huffed. They hurried down the aisle, all the passengers on both sides slumped over and unconscious. "This is the plane? The actual plane? Are they all dead?" asked Clara.

The Doctor scanned them with his sonic. ": Asleep, switched off by the Wi-Fi. Never mind them" he said vaguely, sonicking his way into the cockpit. The pilots were also asleep, and the array of dials and buttons – well, he'd been hoping it would look sort of like a TARDIS control panel, but he couldn't make heads or tails of it. "What is going on? Is this real? Please, tell me what is happening!" Clara demanded.

It was Romana who answered, "We're on a plane heading straight to your house and none of us know how to fly it, and yes this is real, why wouldn't it be?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. She couldn't see why Clara thought this might not be real. "I don't know, maybe I'm dreaming!" Clara suggested randomly. "Little help here!" the Doctor snapped, pulling on the control stick for the plane. Romana and Clara pulled on it as well, and together they managed to lift the plane up and over the rooftops.

The pilots began to rouse, and the Doctor grinned at Romana. "Would a victory roll be too showy off-y?" he asked, and she just laughed, giving him a peck on the lips. "What the hell's going on?" the pilot demanded; the Doctor aimed the sonic at a control above his head and explained "Well, I'm blocking your Wi-Fi so you're waking up, for a start. Tell you what, do you want to drive?" he suggested, whilst Romana led Clara back to the TARDIS.

Once they were all inside the box, Clara questioned "Okay. When are you going to explain to me what the hell is going on?"

"Breakfast" the Doctor replied shortly, concentrating on flying the TARDIS. Clara frowned at him. "What? I ain't waiting till breakfast" she said indignantly. "Oh, we forgot to mention, this is also a time machine. We don't have to wait for breakfast" the Corsair informed her as they landed. He walked out of the TARDIS, and the sounds of applause floated in to those inside. "Thank you, thank you!" the Corsair grinned, bowing flamboyantly.

Clara and the others emerged as well, Emily waving and saying hello to the passers-by who obviously thought the TARDIS's appearance was a magic act. "Whatever happened to keeping a low profile?" Flavia muttered to Romana as they watched the Corsair and the Doctor collect money in a fez and a tricorn. Romana shrugged. "All donations gratefully accepted. Roll up, give us your dosh. Pennies, pounds, anything you've got" the Doctor encouraged their appreciative audience.

_I think we've got enough now _the Corsair told him, so the Doctor handed his fez to Clara and asked "Hold this a minute, would you? Just popping back to the garage" he added, heading back into the TARDIS. "Garage?" Clara repeated in confusion. The Corsair passed his hat to Romana, who began to pour the money into her and Flavia's pockets, and followed the Doctor. Clara came over to the Time Ladies and asked them "What are they doing?"

"You'll see" Romana told her with a wink, taking the fez from Clara's hands. "So this is tomorrow then" Clara commented, looking around, "tomorrow's come early". Romana shook her head. "We went to the future, silly" Emily said by way of explanation, "tomorrow didn't come early, _we _did". Clara still didn't really understand, but she was quickly distracted, because the Doctor and the Corsair emerged from the TARDIS – riding _motorbikes._

Emily's eyes widened. "Wow, cool!" she beamed happily, running over to the motorbike her dad was sitting astride and running a hand along the chrome. The Doctor placed a pink helmet on her head and handed a black helmet, like his own, to Romana. She put her own helmet on and lifted Emily onto the seat behind the Doctor, before climbing on herself. Emily wrapped her arms around her dad's middle and clung on tight, like a happily grinning lemur.

"Come on, Clara, you can ride with us" the Corsair suggested, tossing her a helmet and some goggles. Clara raised an eyebrow at Flavia, who said "He does know how to drive it, thankfully". That wasn't what Clara really meant, and it was less than encouraging, but her stomach growled and she remembered they were supposed to be getting breakfast. So she put on her helmet and goggles, and climbed onto the motorbike behind the Corsair. A moment later she felt Flavia sit down behind her.

Once they were all kitted up and clinging on tight, the Doctor announced that tomorrow he'd bring out a camel, dropped his fez onto a nearby kids head (as did the Corsair), and they sped off across London. "If you lot have got a flying time machine, why are we on motorbikes?!" Clara called to the Corsair over the roar of the engine. "So we can get some fresh air! That and we never take the TARDIS into battle!"

"Because it's made of wood?!"

"Because it's the most powerful ship in the universe and we don't want it falling into the wrong hands. Okay?!"

/

They had a nice breakfast of pastries and tea at a rooftop café overlooking London, with a wonderful view of St Paul's Cathedral, Tower 42, and the Shard. The Doctor, Romana and Emily sat on one side of the table, whilst Clara, the Corsair and Flavia sat on the other side. The Doctor was typing on Clara's laptop. "So if your box can travel anywhere in time and space, why did you bring us to this morning. What's the point in that?" Clara inquired.

Without looking up from the laptop, the Doctor replied, "Whoever's after us spent the whole night looking for us -are you tired?" he asked, and she nodded, "Yes".

"What? Then imagine how they feel. They came the long way round. They've got to be close, definitely London going by the signal distribution. I can hack the lowest level of their operating system but I can't establish a physical location. The security's too good" he said, voice tinged with frustration. Romana gave his hand a squeeze and he smiled at her. Clara then asked, "But why are they looking for us, whoever 'they' are? What did we do to them?"

"Don't worry about that. Nothing's going to happen to you as long as we're around" the Doctor assured her. Clara eyed them all curiously. "So…you guys are all aliens?" she asked, recalling what the Doctor had said aboard the crashing plane. On her right, the Corsair said "Yeah, we're Time Lords – and Ladies. Is that a problem?"

Clara shook her head. "No, it's fine…I think" she replied unsurely, before inquiring "So, what happens if you do find them? What happens then?"

"Daddy's going to tell them all off, aren't you?" Emily interjected. The Doctor smiled down at her and answered, "That's right. Your mum and I are going to ground them for a very, long, time" he said, tapping Emily on the nose. The little girl giggled and Clara smiled in amusement. "Seriously though, what's the plan?" she asked, "people always have plans".

"Yes. Yes, I suppose they do. So tell me, how long have you been looking after those kids?" the Doctor inquired, and Clara blinked, taken aback by the abrupt change in subject. She quickly recovered and explained, "About a year, since their mum died". Romana looked at her sympathetically. "We're sorry to hear that" she told Clara, who smiled sadly.

"Why you?" asked the Doctor, "Family friend, I get that, but there must have been others. Why did it have to be you? You don't really seem like a nanny" he observed. Clara hesitated, and then reached across the table for her laptop. "Gimme" she said, trying to tug it from the Doctor's hands. "Sorry, what?" he asked, tugging the laptop back. Clara pulled it towards her. "You need to know where they physically are. Their exact location" she stated, and he nodded. "Yes".

"I can do it"

"Oi, hang on, I need that"

"You've hacked the lower operating system, yeah? I'll have their physical location in under five minutes. Pop off and get us a coffee" Clara said flippantly, pulling the laptop towards her, but the Doctor refused to let go. "If I can't find them, you definitely can't" he insisted, still playing tug of war with the laptop. "Then what's the harm in letting her have a go?" the Corsair reasoned, and Clara nodded in agreement. "They uploaded me, remember? I've got computing stuff in my head" she reminded the Doctor.

"So do all of us"

"I have insane hacking skills"

"We're all from space and the future with two hearts and twenty-seven brains each!"

"And I can find them in under five minutes plus photographs!" Clara retorted, before asking, "Twenty-seven?"

"Okay, slight exaggeration" the Doctor admitted…sort of. Clara smirked and pulled the laptop right out of his grasp, setting it on her own knees. "Come on Doctor, give her a chance. Let's go buy some more drinks" said Romana, tugging him away. The Doctor was still stubborn. "The security is absolute" he warned Clara, whose fingers were racing across the keyboard. "It's never about the security, it's about the people" she replied.

Her new found confidence with computers reminded the Time Lords of Oswin from the Asylum. Clara noticed them looking at her strangely and asked "Why do you keep looking at me like that?"

The Doctor looked awkward. "Sorry, no, it's nothing. It's just, you're a nanny. Isn't that a bit, well, Victorian?" he asked, and Clara raised an eyebrow. "Victorian?"

"What he means is that being a nanny isn't what most people your age would be doing nowadays" explained Romana. Clara looked back at her laptop and shrugged, saying "I don't really mind". It was clear this particular conversation was over, so the Doctor and Romana went into the café proper. "Can I have another scone please?" Emily called after them, and the Doctor gave her a thumbs up over his shoulder.


	7. The Bells of Saint John Pt 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who

A/N: I've been thinking of starting a Tumblr for the Time Quintet, in this case. Would you guys be interested?

The Bells of Saint John – Part Three

The Doctor and Romana went up to the bar, where the Doctor was momentarily distracted by the array of treats on glass covered plates. The barista turned to them, wiping a mug, and the Doctor told him "Five more cappuccinos and a scone with strawberry jam over there, please". The barista smiled and nodded. "One moment, sir" he said, before a flicker of light played over his head, and he stiffened. "You realise you haven't the slightest chance of saving your little friend" he stated.

Both Romana and the Doctor glanced at one another, and then at the barista. "I beg your pardon?" Romana inquired. The man blinked and repeated, "One moment, sir" then stiffened again, "I said, there's not the slightest chance of saving your little friend. And don't annoy the old man. He isn't, in fact, speaking".

"I'm speaking. Just using whatever's to hand" a passing waitress continued, smirking at them, "Oh, she's rather pretty, isn't she? Do you like her? I can make her like you too if you want" she added. The Doctor's gaze hardened, and he put an arm around Romana's shoulders. "I'm spoken for" he said firmly. There was a flicker of light, and the waitress blinked at them. "Are you alright?" she asked. The Doctor stopped glaring at her and looked awkward. "Uh, yes, fine" he replied, waving her away.

Meanwhile, outside on the terrace, Clara was busily typing on her laptop. She'd moved to the other side of the table, in the Doctor's seat, so the Corsair couldn't look over her shoulder. "How's it going?" asked the Corsair, leaning back in his chair and draining his coffee. "Great, just setting up stuff, need a username" she said, distracted. "You're certainly getting the hang of this" the Corsair noted, a bit patronisingly, but Clara wasn't really paying attention. "Clara Oswald for the win" she agreed with a smile, before realising, "Oswin!" She quickly typed that in as her password.

Back in the coffee shop proper, their mysterious enemy had taken over the waitress again. "Now I want you to take a look around. Go on, have a little stroll, and see how impossible your situation is" she encouraged them. The Doctor and Romana looked around warily. "Go on, take a look. I do love showing off" the waitress smirked, and then a little girl about Emily's age began speaking. "Just let me show you what control of the Wi-Fi can do for you. Stop!" she commanded, and everyone around them froze.

"Stop using that little girl right now" Romana demanded, fists clenching. "Don't worry; she'll be quite unharmed" said the newswoman on a nearby television, "We can hack anyone in the Wi-Fi once they've been exposed long enough" she explained. The Doctor and Romana walked towards the screen, past tables of immobilized people. "So there's one of your walking base stations here, somewhere close" the Doctor realised.

"There's always someone close. We've released thousands into the world. They home in on the Wi-Fi like rats sniffing cheese" the woman explained. The Doctor glared at the news anchor and by extension, whoever was controlling her. "I don't know who you are or why you're doing this, but the people of this world will not be harmed. They will not be controlled. They will not be"-

"The people of this world are in no danger whatsoever" the woman interrupted calmly, "My client requires a steady diet of living human minds. Healthy, free-range, human minds. He loves and cares for humanity. In fact, he can't get enough of it" she continued. Romana frowned. "That's the most barbaric thing I've ever heard!" she exclaimed. "It's obscene. It's murder" the Doctor agreed.

"It's life" the woman replied unconcernedly. "The farmer tends his flock like a loving parent - The abattoir is not a contradiction. No one loves cattle more than Burger King".

Romana couldn't believe what this person was saying. "Do you hear yourself?" she asked, "You're comparing _your own species_ to livestock, and if you really believe that then you must be _insane_".

"My, you're getting awfully upset. It isn't as though our uploads are physically harmed"

"They're dying, and no-one will know that their minds are trapped in your computers. There might have been people buried or cremated who just had the misfortune of encountering you" Romana pointed out, feeling distressed at the thought. What really got to her was the idea that children might have been uploaded, children who had tried to go on the internet, clicked the wrong Wi-Fi connection by mistake – it could happen, it probably already had, and it was just…despicable that people would be okay with that.

"They're going to die anyway. It's just business, unnatural selection, the circle of life, whatever you want to call it"

"We'll call it what it is, murder"

"Alright, if you want to be pedantic about it"

The Doctor had heard enough. "This ends. We're going to end this _today_" he insisted. Sounding completely unfazed, the woman asked "How? You don't even know where we are" she pointed out. Romana felt a shiver go up her spine. "Who's doing this? Who is your client? Hmm? Answer me" the Doctor insisted. Romana felt a shiver go up her spine. "I'm going back to the others" she said, turning to walk away. She heard the word "Stop" and her muscles locked up, leaving her struggling in one place.

"Romana!" the Doctor exclaimed, scanning her and looking into her alarmed eyes. _Romana, can you hear me? _

_I can hear you. Doctor, I can't move, not even a little _she replied. The Doctor strode back up to the television. "Stop that. Let her go, now!" he commanded fiercely. The woman shook her head. "I can't do that. I'll have to freeze you and your other friends as well, I can't have you interfering" she explained, and the Doctor felt himself stiffen.

/

Outside, Clara was grinning proudly. "I did it, I really did it! I found them" she told the Time Lords, holding the laptop to show them. "The Shard. They're in the Shard, right over there. Floor sixty five. See, what did I tell you? It's all about the people".

"I'll admit; I'm impressed" the Corsair informed her; then Emily beamed and exclaimed "Daddy!", scrambling from her seat and running up to the Doctor. The Corsair and Flavia found themselves frozen in their seats, unable to even speak. "Did you get my scone? Where's mummy?" Emily asked curiously. The Doctor's blank expression didn't change as he stated, "I got your scone. Mummy is where".

Emily looked worried, and stepped back. "You're not my daddy" she said fearfully; Clara realised something really bad was happening, and tugged Emily behind her as the Doctor's head spun around, revealing he was actually a robot. There was a flash of light. The Corsair and Flavia gasped as whatever was controlling them released, and Romana came running out, rushing past the robot version of her husband and straight to the table.

She dropped to her knees beside the limp form of her daughter lying collapsed on the floor, and lifted Emily into her arms. "It's okay, Clara" she heard Emily say, her voice emitting from the robot, "we'll get out of here, you'll see. My mummy and daddy, and my godparents, they've never let me down. They'll save us" she said with innocent confidence.

"She's right, we will save them. I promise" the Doctor reassured Romana, before aiming his sonic screwdriver at the robot. _No-one _uploaded his little girl and got away with it.

/

Mahler and Miss Kizlet hadn't expected to pick up the little girl as well, but they were both downloaded now and couldn't be separated, not from the cloud or even from their individual pocket of the Wi-Fi. "Don't worry Clara, my daddy can save us, we'll be okay" the little girl, Emily, told her fellow captive. "We can't get rid of her, not without compromising the kid, and _she _could make a good hostage" said Mahler.

"There's no point. They're both fully integrated now. They can't be downloaded again. I'm sure her parents know that" Kizlet pointed out.

"I'm not sure they do" said Alexi, "The mother's coming". They watched Romana tear through London on one of the motorbikes, following her progress with the cameras. "We could stop her, I suppose" Mahler commented. Kizlet shrugged. "Why bother? Could be quite funny"

/

Romana reached the Shard, stopping the motorbike beside a man eating a bag of chips. "Really, now, a motorbike? That doesn't seem like your style" he commented.

"The Doctor rode this in the antigrav Olympics in 2074. He lost, but it was still a nice day out"

"The building is in lock-down. I'm afraid you're not coming in"

"You ought to pay more attention. I said, _antigrav_". Romana hit a red button and sped off again, straight towards the building – and right up the side. She counted the floors as they flicked by, and when she got close to floor sixty five, she pulled out her sonic and shattered the glass inwards. The motorcycle skidded into the room, but Romana managed to jump off of it before it fell to the ground with a crash. Straightaway she began to search the desk for some way of reversing what had happened.

Miss Kizlet walked into the room. "Do come in" she said without a trace of sarcasm. "Give me my daughter back" Romana demanded immediately, frowning at her. "Sorry about the draught" Kizlet added casually. "I mean it. Put Clara and Emily back into their bodies right now"

"I can't"

"If you don't, I will"

"You can't either. They're a fully integrated part of the data cloud, now. They can't be separated"

"Then download everybody, all the people you've trapped"

"You do realise what would happen, don't you?"

"They'd all be free"

"Those with bodies would be, and that's a tiny number. Most would simply die"

"They'd still be free. Now download them, or else"

"Or else what?"

"Or else you'll find out what it feels like"

"Don't be ridiculous" Kizlet scoffed, "you've got no power over me. Why did you even come here?"

"Actually, I didn't come here. I'm still in the café"

"What?"

"I'm looking after my daughter, whilst my husband hacks your technology. Don't say I didn't try to warn you" Romana told an alarmed Kizlet, as her robotic self's head spun around. "No, not me! Not me!" Kizlet pleaded, cowering. There was a flash, and she found herself in the data cloud. Turning to where she knew Mahler would be watching, Kizlet instructed "Put me back. Put me back! Download me at once! That is an order. That is an order!"

"But she's fully integrated now" Alexi pointed out, "We'll have to download the entire cloud. We can't do that".

"No, we can't" Mahler agreed.

"Download me!"

The base station of Romana returned its face to the front and moved over to Kizlet's body, picking up her iPad. It selected Mahler's profile and pushed the 'obedience' meter right up to the top.

"Download me!" Kizlet demanded for a third time, and this time Mahler gave the order, "Do what she says". The faces disappeared from the small screens, and in Kizlet's office, the base station was shut down remotely by the Doctor. Both he and Romana breathed a sigh of relief when Emily and Clara stirred. Emily blinked her blue eyes open. "Mummy?" she asked, disoriented; Romana kissed her forehead. "It's okay, baby. I'm here".

"What happened?" asked Clara as she woke up, rubbing her head. "You and Emily were downloaded – hey, you should have seen your mum, sweetheart. She was absolutely brilliant" the Doctor smiled at Romana, who blushed. "Well, I couldn't let them hurt our little girl" she replied, still hugging Emily. The Corsair walked over, slipping a mobile back into his pocket. "I called UNIT; they've sent soldiers to the Shard to arrest everyone" he informed them. Clara wondered who 'UNIT' was, but decided this wasn't the time to ask.

They waited whilst the Corsair and the Doctor rode back on the remaining motorbike to pick up the TARDIS – an event that took just two minutes from their perspective. The Time Lords dropped Clara off at home, just in time for her to greet Angie returning from Nina's house, and then they headed to the Shard. Romana and the Doctor wanted to have a word with the woman who had taken their little girl in person.

/

Mahler was extremely put out by the presence of soldiers in 'his' offices. "You have no right to be in this office, and I am demanding that you leave at once" he sternly informed one of the UNIT soldiers, who calmly but firmly replied "This building is under UNIT control, sir"

"What is UNIT? Never heard of you"

"Just you calm down, sir"

In her office, Miss Kizlet was speaking with her 'client', the Great Intelligence. It had taken the form of Doctor Simeon, using his face as an avatar. "UNIT are here. Friends of the Quartet, I presume" she commented. The Intelligence agreed, "Oh, old friends. Very old friends".

"Then I appear to have failed you, Great Intelligence"

"I have feasted on many minds. I have grown. But now it is time for you to reduce" the Intelligence ordered, and Kizlet felt a flicker of fear. To go back to the way things were… "You've been whispering in my ear so long, I'm not sure I remember what I was before" she admitted. The Intelligence held no concern for this. It began to fade away with a final, "Goodbye, Miss Kizlet". She backed away to her desk and picked up her iPad – she hesitated, and then clicked 'Restore Factory Settings'. There was a grating noise and she clutched her head in pain, the iPad dropping to the floor.

Out in the office, all the workers were doing the same. When they looked up, expressions of alarm and confusion were evident on their faces. "Sorry. Where am I?" asked Alexi, looking around in bewilderment, "What am I doing here? Are you soldiers? What's happening? How did I get here?"

"Excuse me, where are the toilets?" asked Mahler, much to Alexi's puzzlement. "The toilets?" he repeated questioningly. Mahler nodded and explained "I'm here to fix the toilets, the gents", he looked down at himself and found he was wearing a suit, "How long have I been here?"

Several soldiers broke into Kizlet's office, to find her sitting on the floor with her hands wrapped around her knees. "Stay where you are" they warned, and she looked up at them fearfully. "Ma'am, identify yourself" one of the soldiers ordered. "Where are my mummy and daddy?" she asked in a child-like voice, "They said they wouldn't be long. Are they coming back?"

The soldiers looked at one another in concern – just then, a wheezing, groaning noise filled the room, and a blue police box appeared out of nowhere in the corner of the room. The soldiers snapped to attention and saluted the Doctor as he emerged from the TARDIS – he rolled his eyes at them and strode over to Kizlet. "You - you took our daughter from us, you nearly kept her trapped in a living hell! Let me give you a bit of advice, never, _ever _come after me or my family again, or you – you're – crying, why?" – the Doctor trailed off as Kizlet began to sob.

He looked questioningly at the soldiers, one of whom explained "She seems to think she's a child, sir. In fact none of the people we arrested know what they're doing here, they're suffering collective amnesia". When Romana saw Kizlet crying pitifully on the floor, all her anger at the woman evaporated instantly. She knelt down before Kizlet and held out a tissue. Kizlet took it and blew her nose. "There you are. What's your name?" she asked. Kizlet sniffled and replied "M-my name's Stephanie. I don't understand, I…I don't know where I am".

"Stephanie? I'm sorry if I frightened you" the Doctor apologised contritely, "I thought…never mind. We're not going to hurt you, I promise". He stood up and addressed the soldiers. "Everyone here was being controlled, I don't know by what. UNIT has protocols for dealing with amnesia caused by mental control, correct?" he inquired, and the soldiers nodded in confirmation. "Good, then initiate those protocols for Stephanie here and all the workers" the Doctor instructed. The soldiers saluted and helped Stephanie to her feet.

/

The Time Quintet, as it were, returned to the Maitland's house. Clara saw the TARDIS outside the window, and went up to it. She knocked on the door and heard Romana call from inside, "Come in!" – so she pushed open the door and walked up the ramp to the console. "So, you came back, did you?" she noted; really, she was expecting them to just hop in their spaceship and fly away. "You didn't answer my question" the Doctor replied.

"What question?"

"You don't seem like a nanny" the Doctor reminded her, and Clara sighed. "I was going to travel" she confessed, "I came to stay for a week before I left, and during that week…" she trailed off.

"She died" the Doctor finished for her quietly, "So you're returning the favour. You've got a hundred and one places to see, and you haven't been to any of them, have you? That's why you keep the book" he said, thinking of a travel book he'd found on her bedside table, one with a leaf inside. "I keep the book because I'm still going" Clara replied firmly.

"You can go with us!" Emily suggested brightly, "we can show you a thousand and ten places to see all over the universe. You'll love it!" she claimed. The Doctor nodded in agreement and pointed out "You know, the thing about a time machine, you can run away all you like and still be home in time for tea, so what do you say? Anywhere. All of time and space, right outside those doors" he said temptingly.

Clara looked at him in amusement. "Does this work?" she asked with raised eyebrows, "Is this actually what you do? Do you just crook your finger and people just jump in your snog box and fly away?"

"It is not a snog box" the Doctor insisted, looking embarrassed. Emily giggled, and Clara looked unconvinced. "You're married" she pointed out, nodding to Romana. ""Ha! She's got you there, Doctor" the Corsair laughed, whilst Flavia just rolled her eyes at them all.

"Come back tomorrow. Ask me again"

"Why?"

"Because tomorrow, I might say yes - sometime after seven okay for you?"

"It's a time machine. Any time's okay"

"See you then". Clara turned and walked to the door – just before she stepped out, the Doctor called "Clara? In your book there was a leaf. Why?" he asked curiously. Clara smiled and replied enigmatically, "That wasn't a leaf. That was page one", before leaving the TARDIS and shutting the door behind her. Emily climbed onto her seat and the Time Lords gathered around the console. "Right then, Clara Oswald. Time to find out who you are" said the Doctor, as he pulled down the dematerialisation lever.


	8. The Rings of Akhaten Pt 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who

The Rings of Akhaten – Part One

"Come on, come on, let's go pick up Clara!" Emily said eagerly, tugging her mum by the sleeve to the console, jumping up and down. "Okay, darling, calm down!" Romana laughed, moving to her side of the controls. The Doctor wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed her cheek. "Hey, I've been thinking…do you want Clara to be _your _companion?" he offered. Romana blinked at him in confusion. "My companion?" she repeated questioningly.

The Doctor nodded. "Yes, after all, you're not a companion…I just thought maybe, you'd like to have a companion of your own" he explained. Romana smiled, touched. "That's so sweet…tell you what, why don't we let Clara herself decide?" she suggested. Emily appeared at the Doctor's elbow, having done a full revolution of the console, and asked "Let Clara decide what?"

"If she wants to be my companion or Romana's" the Doctor explained. Emily looked puzzled. "Why can't she be both?" she inquired; her parents looked at one another in surprise, the idea having not occurred to them. "Is that allowed?" Romana asked – the Doctor smirked and replied "When have I ever done what's 'allowed'? Okay, well, we'd both have to be responsible for Clara's welfare and she'd have to listen to both of us, but we were both going to look after her anyway and we almost always agree so…yeah, we can both be her pilot".

"Wait!" Emily exclaimed, holding a finger up, "I've got a better idea! Clara can be your sister!" she informed her mum with a bright smile. "Why her sister?" asked Flavia, something that Romana was wondering herself. Emily launched into an explanation. "Because you both have brown hair and brown eyes, and you both look after children, and you're both really nice" she said with only the smallest of breaths in between.

Romana thought about it, and then smiled. "Well, if Clara likes the idea, I have no problem with it" she agreed; the idea of having a 'sister' and an 'aunt' for Emily was rather appealing. The four Time Lords dematerialised at last – they had investigated (the Doctor called it that, Flavia called it 'not minding our own business') every facet of Clara's life, from when her parents met to when her mum sadly died. They found nothing to suggest she was anything other than a normal human, which frustrated the Doctor, because she just _couldn't_ be.

The moment Clara stepped aboard the TARDIS, Emily quickly inquired "Clara! Clara, I have a question. Would you rather be my mummy and daddy's companion, or my daddy's companion and my mummy's sister?"

Clara responded to this enquiry with the bewilderment it merited. "I'm sorry?" she asked, wondering if she'd misheard the energetic girl. "The Doctor, the Corsair, Flavia and I are all official pilots for this TARDIS, and only we're allowed to bring companions along" explained Romana, "it's not usual for two pilots to share a companion, but there isn't a rule against it…then Emily suggested that you could be my 'honorary sister', as it were, since we look similar and we're both 'nice', as she put it" the Time Lady continued, smiling in fond amusement at her daughter.

Now that she understood better what was being asked, Clara considered the question. "Hm…I don't have a sister, so yeah, I'll be yours. Does that make me your companion?" she asked the Doctor, who nodded. The Corsair leaned across the console and said "That's all well and good, but next time we meet someone you want to travel with us, how about letting Flavia and I take them on?"

"So we're moving through actual time?" Clara asked in interest as the Time Lords dematerialised once more, "So what's it made of, time? I mean, if you can just rotor through it, it's got to be made of stuff, like jam's made of strawberries. So what's it made of?" she rambled curiously. The Doctor looked at her oddly – that wasn't something people normally asked. Clara Oswald was just full of surprises.

"Ooh, ooh, I know! Time is a dimension which overlays the common spatial artifices of our reality, and is comprised mainly of artron energy and chronon atoms" Emily rattled off from memory. The Doctor smiled over at where she sat on the seat, swinging her legs. "Well remembered, sweetheart" he praised. A rather stunned Clara swallowed and said "Okay, what I got from that was 'time isn't made of strawberries'…So we can go anywhere?"

"Within reason" the Doctor replied, before adding, "Well, I say reason…"

"So we could go backwards in time"

"And space, yes"

"And forwards in time"

"And space, totally. So, where do you want to go, eh? What do you want to see?" the Doctor asked Clara, who opened her mouth…and then closed it again. "I don't know" she admitted, "You know when someone asks you what's your favourite book and straight away you forget every single book that you've ever read?"

"No, totally not"

"Well, that's a thing that happens"

"And? Back to the question?"

"Okay", Clara began to pace around, thinking aloud, "So, so, so... So I'd like to see… I would like to see… What I would like to see is…something awesome" she smiled at last. The Doctor returned her smile with a grin and announced "One awesome something coming right up" – he had the _perfect _destination in mind.

When they landed, the Doctor guided Clara out of the TARDIS with his hands over her eyes. "Can you feel the light on your eyelids?" he asked, and she nodded, "That is the light of an alien sun. Forward a couple of steps. Okay. Are you ready?"

"Yes…no. Yes?" Clara replied hesitantly. The Doctor took his hands off her eyes and she blinked, before staring in awe at a bright, burning star and the asteroids orbiting around it. "Welcome to the Rings of Akhaten" he introduced, grinning at how awestruck Clara looked. "It's…" she couldn't even finish her sentence, but he knew what she was _trying _to say. "It is. It so completely is. But wait, there is more" he informed her.

"More what?"

"More cool stuff" replied Emily, "in five, four, three, two, look!" She pointed out at where an asteroid moved aside to reveal a glittering, golden pyramid shining on a rock closer to the sun. "What is it?" Clara asked curiously. "The Pyramid of the Rings of Akhaten" the Doctor replied, "It's a holy site for the Sun Singers of Akhat"

"The who of what?"

"Sun singers of Akhat, you stress the 'h' a little" Romana repeated, and the Doctor added, "Seven worlds orbiting the same star. All of them sharing a belief that life in the universe originated here, on that planet"; he pointed to a large rock which held a city of sorts on its fringes. "All life?" Clara inquired.

"In the universe"

"Did it?"

"Well, it's what they believe. It's a nice story"

"Can we see it, up close?"

/

They landed in a corner of an alien bazaar, which was full of alien species moving every which way. Emily rode on the Corsair's shoulders, to stop her getting lost in the crowd. "Where are they from?" asked Clara, looking around at the mind whirling array of alien life. "Oh, you know, the local system, mostly" the Doctor replied casually. "What do I call them?" asked Clara. Flavia personally doubted she'd remember any of the species names, if she couldn't get her head around the correct pronunciation of 'Akhat', but the Doctor was already pointing some out.

"Well, let's see. Ah! There go some Panbabylonians. A Lugal-Irra-Kush. Some Lucanians. A Hooloovoo. Ah! Qom VoTivig!" he greeted one large, imposing looking alien, engaging in a traditional greeting before the alien went on its way. "That chap's a Terraberserker of the Kodion Belt. You don't see many of them around anymore. Oh! That's an Ultramancer. Do you know, I forget how much I like it here. We should come here more often" the Doctor commented to Romana, winding an arm around her shoulders.

"You've been here before?" Clara asked in surprise, and the Doctor nodded. "Yes, yes, yes. I came here a long time ago with my granddaughter" he answered, grabbing Romana's hand and pulling her through the crowd, leaving a surprised and bewildered Clara behind. She turned to Flavia and asked "What does he mean, he came here with his granddaughter?" she asked. Flavia explained "We live for thousands of years longer than you humans, Clara. The Doctor was talking about a grandchild who was part of his first family, centuries before he'd even met Romana, let alone fallen in love with her".

They went to catch up with the others –the Doctor found a stall with free samples of a strange, glowing blue globes. "Exotic fruit of some description" he surmised, scanning the food with his sonic, "Right. Non-toxic, non-hallucinogenic, high in free radicals and low in other stuff, I shouldn't wonder". The Corsair brought Emily down from his shoulders; she took a large bite of the fruit, chewed and swallowed it, and then stuck her tongue out, looking at it cross eyed. "Aww, I was hoping it would glow blue" she pouted in disappointment.

The Doctor offered Clara a piece of blue fruit – she nibbled at it and pulled a face. "No?" he asked, and she shook her head. "So, why is everyone here?" she asked curiously; there was a certain atmosphere in the air that made her think something big and exciting was happening. "For the Festival of Offerings" replied the Doctor, pointing at a banner that Clara felt foolish for missing, "Takes place every thousand years or so, when the rings align. It's quite a big thing, locally, like Pancake Tuesday" he explained.

As they moved on through the crowd, Clara suddenly found herself face to face with a large, toothy alien who barked at her like an angry dog. "Oh!" she exclaimed, "Err, guys?" The Doctor yapped right back at the alien, sounding like a Yorkshire terrier on helium. "What's happening? Why is it angry?" Clara asked nervously, backing away. "This isn't an it, it's a she. Dor'een, meet Clara. Clara, meet Dor'een" the Doctor introduced her to the alien. "Doreen?" Clara repeated doubtfully.

"The translation circuits must be loose" Romana commented, and the Doctor nodded in agreement. "She sounds a bit grumpy but she's a total love actually, aren't you?" he tickled Dor'een under the chin, "Yes, you are. No, actually, she's just asking if we fancy renting a moped" he explained to Clara, as Dor'een stepped aside and gestured to what looked like a wheel-less motorbike. "So, how much does it cost?" asked Clara.

"Not money, something valuable. Sentimental value" the Doctor explained, "A photograph, love letter, something like that. That's what's used for currency here, psychometry. Objects psychically imprinted with their history. The more treasured they are, the more value they hold". Clara frowned at that; people had to give away something they held dear just for material gain? "That's horrible" she said, and the Doctor shrugged, "Better than using bits of paper".

"Then you pay"

"With what?"

"You're a thousand years old. You must have something you care about" Clara insisted, turning away. Emily hurried after her, reaching up to hold her hand. The Doctor pulled his sonic out and looked at it, shook his head and stuck it back in his pocket. Clara and Emily were looking around for where the 'stadium' was. "It's where the celebrations are held, daddy told me about it" Emily explained. Just then, another little girl ran around a corner and bumped into them. "Are you okay?" Clara asked in concern.

The girl looked at them worriedly and ran off; then two men in scarlet robes appeared. "Have you seen her?" one of them asked.

"Who?"

"The Queen of Years"

"Who?"

The men hurried away in search of their Queen, and Emily tugged on Clara's sleeve, leading her after the little girl who had run away. They followed her into a storeroom of some sort, and snuck through it looking for the girl. "Hello?" Clara called; something banged and made her jump; then the girl appeared. "Hey. Are you okay? Are you lost?" Clara asked her gently. The little girl ran off again. "Wait!" Emily called, running after her, leaving Clara no choice but to rush after them both.

They found the girl hiding behind some crates. "Why are you running away? We're not going to hurt you. What are you doing here?" Emily asked her curiously. "Hiding" she replied in a near whisper. "How come?" asked Emily; the little girl stared at her. "You don't know me?"

"Sorry, actually not" Clara admitted.

"So why did you follow me?"

"I thought you needed help" explained Emily; the other girl looked at her uncertainly. "I don't believe you" she admitted. Clara tried to reassure her. "We've got no idea who you might be. We've never been here before. I've never been anywhere _like_ here before. We just saw a little girl who looked like she needed help" she promised.

"Really?"

"Cross my hearts" Emily smiled, doing the actions. "Can you help me?"

"That's why we're here"

"Because I need to hide" the girl revealed; just then, a voice could be heard whispering. "Merry. Where are you, Merry?" A smile spread across Clara's face and she took both girl's hands. "I know the perfect box" she said, sneaking with them out of the storeroom. They went back to the TARDIS, hidden at the back of the market. "What's this?" the girl asked, half curious and half sceptical. "It's my daddy's TARDIS – Time And Relative Dimensions In Space" explained Emily. Now the girl just looked sceptical. "It's teeny" she protested.

"You wait" Clara told her, trying to pull the doors open, but they refused to budge. "It won't open cos you're not a pilot and you don't have a key" Emily explained, so Clara asked "So can you open it?" Emily shook her head. "I'm not a pilot yet, and…I kind of left my key in my room" she admitted sheepishly. Their new friend hurried to hide behind the TARDIS; Emily and Clara followed her. They sat on either side of her. "My name's Emily, by the way, and this is my Aunt Clara. What's your name?"

"I'm Merry Gejelh" the little girl replied, and Emily's eyes widened. "You're the Queen of Years?" she asked, and Merry nodded. Clara raised an eyebrow. "Not local, sorry. The Queen of Years?" she asked. Merry turned to her and explained, "They chose me when I was a baby, the day the last Queen of Years died. I'm the vessel of our history. I know every chronicle, every poem, every legend, every song".

Clara's eyebrows rose towards her hair. "Every single one? Blimey. I hated history" she commented. Merry went on, "And now I have to sing a song in front of everyone, a special song. I have to sing it to a god. And I'm really scared" she admitted. Emily looked sympathetic. "That does sound scary, but my daddy says it's okay to be afraid, and my mummy says that what you're scared of is never as bad as you think" she revealed.

"Everyone's scared when they're little" Clara agreed, "I used to be terrified of getting lost. Used to have nightmares about it. And then I got lost. Blackpool beach, Bank holiday Monday, about ten billion people. I was about six. My worst nightmare come true" she told Merry, who asked "What happened?"

"My world ended, my heart broke…And then my mum found me. We had fish and chips, and she drove me home and she tucked me up and she told me a story" Clara replied. She thought back to her mother's words, "_It doesn't matter where you are, in the jungle or the desert or on the moon. However lost you may feel, you'll never really be lost. Not really. Because I will always be here, and I will always come and find you, every single time. Every single time_".

"And you were never scared again?" asked Merry, and Clara shrugged. "Oh, I was scared lots of times, but never of being lost. So, this special song. What are you scared of, exactly?" she asked Merry, who nervously replied, "Getting it wrong, making Grandfather angry".

"And do you think you'll get it wrong? Because I don't. I don't think you'll get it wrong. I think you, Merry Gejelh, will get it very, very right" Clara assured her, and Emily nodded emphatically in agreement. Merry smiled, feeling better, and hugged them both. They went out to the market, and encountered the robed men again. They put a lei around Merry's neck and gently led her away. "Emily!" Romana's voice came through the crowd, as the Time Lady appeared behind the men.

She and the Doctor hurried over to Clara and Emily. "What have we told you about wandering off without telling us?" Romana scolded Emily even as she hugged her daughter. "I was with Aunt Clara; she looked after me!" Emily insisted, smiling up at Clara. The Doctor stared at her. "Thanks for taking care of her" he said at last, "but where have you been?"

Clara blinked and shrugged. "Exploring. Where are we going now?" she asked.


	9. The Rings of Akhaten Pt 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who

A/N: I've waited a while to say this – I've got a Tumblr! There's not much on it, just some pictures of the characters, but there's something special about this blog. You can ask the characters questions and I'll answer 'in character' as it were, like an ask-blog. You'll have to bear with me at first, I'm still figuring Tumblr out, but I'm sure I'll get the hang of it So yeah, check out my page, 10Blue10 dot Tumblr dot com, and ask away!

The Rings of Akhaten – Part Two

As they made their way to the 'stadium', Clara looked down at Emily and asked, "Um, Emily? Do you…really see me as an Aunt?" It wasn't that she minded, but she hadn't expected the little girl to take so quickly to calling her 'Aunt Clara'. Emily looked up at her innocently and answered "Well, yeah. If you're my mummy's honorary sister then you'd have to be my honorary aunt….do you not want to be?" she asked worriedly. Clara hastened to reassure her. "Oh no, I don't mind. It's kind of fun having an 'older sister'…I still can't believe how old your parents and godparents really are" she admitted.

"I'm older than I look too" Emily informed her, and Clara raised an eyebrow. "Yeah? So, you're what, twelve?" she guessed, wondering if Emily was small for her age. Emily giggled. "Good guess, but no. I'm fifteen" she revealed, much to Clara's surprise. "No way" she said flatly. Emily nodded, and added "But I'm still a little girl, we just age differently".

They got to the stadium, but it was already full and they had to squeeze into seats. "Are we even supposed to be here?" Clara whispered to Romana, who shrugged. Merry was led out in front of the semi-circle tiers of seats, and stepped up onto a pedestal on the edge of the rock, facing the Golden Pyramid. She looked back at the crowd and spotted Clara and Emily – the former gave her a thumbs-up and the latter waved enthusiastically. Merry smiled, feeling a lot better, and turned to the Pyramid. With a deep breath, she began to sing. "Akhaten…"

The Doctor flicked through a leaflet. "They're singing to the Mummy in the Temple. They call it the Old God. Sometimes Grandfather" he explained in murmur to Clara as she sat between him and Romana.

"Oh God of Akhaten…"

"What are they singing?" Clara asked curiously. "They call it the Long Song. It's an endless lullaby to keep the Old God asleep, sung by chorister after chorister through all the generations, for millions of years" explained Romana. The congregation around them held out their hands towards Merry and the Pyramid. "What are they doing?" inquired Clara. "Those are offerings. Gifts of value. Mementoes to feed the Old God" replied the Doctor. The offerings turned into golden sparkles and floated away toward the Pyramid and the Sun.

"Oh God of, Oh God of, Oh God of Akhaten…" Merry sang; she had a beautiful voice. The Doctor began to join in; he came in a tad too early, but soon everyone was singing…until they heard a rumble coming from the Pyramid. Merry faltered in her singing, and the crowd whispered restlessly. All of a sudden, Merry screamed in fright as a golden energy beam began to pull her from the pedestal towards the Pyramid. Clara's eyes widened. "Okay, what's happening? Is that supposed to happen?"

"Help!" cried Merry, and Clara looked around desperately for someone going to her aid. "Clara, come on, hurry!" Romana urged her out of her seat and into the now empty market. The Time Lords strode purposefully back towards the TARDIS, with Clara in their wake. "Why are we walking away? We can't just walk away. This is my fault! I talked her into doing this" she said guiltily. The Doctor stopped abruptly and turned to her. "Listen. There's one thing you need to know about travelling with us. Well, one thing apart from the blue box and the two hearts. We don't walk away".

He barked with Dor'een, and then turned to the others, saying "We need something precious".

"Well, you must have something. All the places you've seen, there must be something" Clara protested. "My precious things are in the TARDIS and there isn't time to get one" Flavia revealed, and the Corsair added "Same with mine". Clara looked down at her mum's ring on her finger, and hesitated. She was about to pull it off when Emily stepped forward, and handed Dor'een her blue hairband. The alien took it and sensed its sentimental value; she nodded and stepped aside, letting them get to the moped. "Oh, darling" Romana sighed.

"Come on Ro, Clara" the Doctor beckoned them over, sitting astride the moped. The two women climbed onto the back and held on tight. "Emily, stay with the Corsair and Flavia" he instructed, before kicking the moped into gear and rising up above the buildings. "Hey, Emz, that was really good of you to give up your hairband" the Corsair praised. "I helped Aunt Clara convince Merry to go up there, it was sort of my fault too. Besides…I can always get another hairband" Emily sighed.

The Corsair looked at her downcast expression and rummaged in his coat pockets – he pulled out a folded piece of paper and smoothed it out on his knee. Drawn on the paper in crayon was the Corsair in a pirate's hat and a little girl with brown pigtails, holding hands. Melody had drawn it for him back when she was a child… he handed it to Dor'een and said "I want to buy her hairband back, please".

/

The Doctor, Romana and Clara raced towards Merry, who reached out desperately. "Merry!" cried Clara, straining to grab the little girl's hand; but just as their fingers touched, a surge in the beam yanked Merry away into the Pyramid, and the stone door slammed shut with an echoing thud. "Brakes! Brakes!" Clara screamed as they approached the stone at an alarming speed. With a yell, the Doctor turned the moped to one side and skidded onto the platform outside the door.

They all panted. "Um, Clara, you can let go now" Romana winced.

"I can't"

"You sort of have to"

"Why?"

"You're hurting me"

"Sorry", Clara quickly let go of Romana and climbed off of the moped. The Doctor scanned the door and announced, "Oh, that's interesting. A frequency modulated acoustic lock. The key changes ten million zillion squillion times a second" he informed the other two. "Can you open it?" asked Clara.

"Technically, no" the Doctor replied, "In reality, also no, but still, let's give it a stab" he added, taking a run up and banging his shoulder into the door. "Oh! Doctor, are you okay?" Romana asked worriedly, coming over to see if he was hurt. The Doctor rubbed his shoulder and admitted, "Probably shouldn't have done that".

/

Inside the Pyramid, Merry walked nervously past the kneeling chorister to look at the Mummy. Behind her, the chorister continued to sing "Do not wake from slumber. Old God, do not wake from slumber. Rest your weary, holy head and cast our lives asunder. Do not wake from slumber".

"I don't know what to do next. What happens?" Merry asked – the Mummy's eyes glowed red, and she screamed in fright. The Time Lords and Clara heard her outside. "Merry!" Clara called through the door, "Merry, hold on! We'll be there soon. Doctor?" she asked frantically, as the Doctor and Romana struggled with the door. "Yes, yes, yes, yes. Oh, hello" the Doctor said triumphantly.

"Hello what?"

"Our sonics have locked onto the acoustic tumblers" replied Romana.

"Meaning?"

"Meaning we get to do this" said the Doctor, aiming his sonic at the bottom of the door. Romana did likewise, and together, they began to lift the door upwards. "Hello there" he greeted Merry, "I'm the Doctor, this is my wife Romana, and you've met Clara. She was supposed to be having a nice day out. Still, it's early yet. Are you coming, then? Did I mention that the door is immensely heavy?" he rambled. Merry didn't move, but instead told them fearfully, "Leave! You'll wake him!"

"Really quite extraordinarily heavy" the Doctor winced in exertion, as he and Romana struggled to hold the door open. Clara walked into the Pyramid, towards Merry, and held her hand out towards the girl. "Merry, we need to leave" she said urgently, but Merry shook her head and shrank away. "No, go away!"

"Not without you" Clara refused. Distressed, Merry said accusingly, "You said I wouldn't get it wrong and then I got it wrong. And now this has happened. Look what happened!"

"You didn't get it wrong"

"How do you know? You don't know anything. You have to go! Go now, or he'll eat us all" Merry insisted desperately. Clara walked up to the Mummy and commented, "Well, he's ugly. But you know, to be honest, I don't think he looks big enough". Merry shook her head. "Not our meat, our souls" she explained. Clara moved towards her and Merry quickly pressed her fingers to her temples, sending out a blast of telekinetic energy that pinned Clara to the glass case in which the Mummy was held.

"He doesn't want you. He wants me" Merry insisted, "If you don't leave, he'll eat you all up too". The Doctor and Romana continued to struggle with the door, their knees buckling. "Yes, and you don't want that, do you?" the Doctor panted, "You want us to walk out of this really quite astonishingly heavy door and never come back" he guessed.

"Yes!"

"I see. Right. Clara's right. Absolutely never going to happen" the Doctor said, pulling Romana out from under the door and into the Pyramid. It crashed shut behind them and Clara asked, "Did you just lock us in with the soul eating monster?" The Doctor, of course, replied "Yep".

"And is there actually a way to get out?"

"What? Before it eats our souls?"

"Ideally, yes"

"Possibly. Probably. There usually seems to be" the Doctor admitted vaguely, as Romana came to try and tug Clara free from the glass, but she was stuck tight. "Why is he still singing?" Clara wondered, looking at the kneeling chorister. "Old God, rest your weary, holy head" he sang shakily. The Doctor walked over and knelt down in front of him. "He's trying to sing the Old God back to sleep, but that's not going to happen. He's waking up, mate. He's coming, ready or not. You want to run" he told the chorister, who stopped chanting.

The man got to his feet. "That's it then, songs over" the Doctor said gently, and the chorister nodded. "The song is over. My name is Chorister Rezh Baphix, and the Long Song ended with me" he announced, pressing a button on his bracelet and teleporting out of the Pyramid.


	10. The Rings of Akhaten Pt 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who

A/N: Another shameless plug about my Tumblr, at 10Blue10 dot tumblr dot com. You don't have to wait for me to mention stuff in the fanfic, just ask questions. You can ask about their secrets (I can't promise they'll answer though LOL), their likes and dislikes, tell them what you think of them, all sorts!

The Rings of Akhaten – Part Two

"That's it, then. Song's over" the Doctor repeated, turning to the glass case just as the Mummy roared. Still pinned to the glass by Merry, Clara's eyes widened in alarm. "A-ha, look at that!" the Doctor cheered, coming to get a closer look at the Mummy. Romana moved towards Merry to protect her; the little girl cried out fearfully "You've woken him!" Clara tried to look over her shoulder at the Mummy. "It's awake? What's it doing?" she asked. The Doctor lied and said "Oh, you know. Having a nice stretch".

In actual fact the Mummy was hammering on the glass, trying to break free. Romana knelt down beside Merry and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Merry, dear, you didn't wake him up, and neither did we. This is just his time to wake, that's all" she tried to reassure the young Queen, only for the Doctor to spoil it somewhat by adding "Wake, and feed, on you, apparently, on your stories".

"She didn't say stories. She said souls" Clara protested, and the Doctor shrugged. "Same thing. The soul's made of stories, not atoms. Everything that ever happened to us. People we love, people we lost. People we found again against all the odds", he winked at Romana, "He threatens to wake, they offer him a pure soul. The soul of the Queen of Years" the Doctor finished, gesturing to Merry. Romana frowned disapprovingly at him. "Doctor, you're scaring her" she reprimanded.

"Good. She should be scared. She's sacrificing herself. She should know what that means. Do you know what it means, Merry?" the Doctor asked the girl, kneeling down as well. "A God chose me" she replied, but she didn't sound too sure… "It's not a god" the Doctor told her, "It'll feed on your soul, but that doesn't make it a god. It is a vampire, and you don't need to give yourself to it. Hey, do you mind if I tell you a story? One you might not have heard. All the elements in your body were forged many, many millions of years ago, in the heart of a faraway star that exploded and died.

"That explosion scattered those elements across the desolations of deep space. After so, so many millions of years, these elements came together to form new stars and new planets. And on and on it went. The elements came together and burst apart, forming shoes and ships and sealing wax, and cabbages and kings. Until eventually, they came together to make you. You are unique in the universe. There is only one Merry Gejelh. And there will never be another. Getting rid of that existence isn't a sacrifice. It is a waste". Romana smiled at this little speech. _Well done, dear. _

Comprehension began to dawn in Merry's eyes. "So, if I don't, then everyone else…" she trailed off. The Doctor smiled reassuringly and nodded. "Will be fine" he finished for her.

"How?"

"There's always a way"

"You promise?"

"Cross our hearts"; both he and Romana crossed their hearts and winked at her. Merry turned to Clara and released her from the telekinetic hold – she stumbled away from the case, looking back to see the Mummy had broken a small hole in it. "Having a nice stretch?" she cried sarcastically. The asteroid shook suddenly and they all stumbled, but kept their balance. "Something's coming" Clara realised. The fear had returned to Merry's face. "The Vigil" she gasped.

The Doctor looked down at her and asked, "And what's the Vigil?"

"If the Queen of Years is unwilling to be feasted upon…"

"Yes?"

"It's their job to feed her to Grandfather!" Merry explained. Three robotic beings in black cloaks appeared in a swirl of smoke. Merry cowered behind Romana and Clara. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" she pleaded as the Vigil advanced. "Don't you dare" Clara challenged; there was no way she was going to let these creeps hurt this little girl. "Yeah, stay back. I'm armed. With a screwdriver" the Doctor threatened, brandishing it at them. _Maybe you shouldn't have said that last bit, dear _Romana commented.

The lead Vigil suddenly let out a high pitched acoustic blast that knocked the sonic screwdriver right out of the Doctor's hands – then another blast that sent the adults flying backwards into the wall. The Vigil led a terrified Merry forward. Groaning, Romana blinked; she thought she might have a concussion, but the moment she saw that Merry was in trouble she shook it off. _Ro, my sonic_ the Doctor told her; she cast about and snatched it off the floor, tossing it to him.

The Doctor struggled to his feet, and the Vigil turned to dispose of him properly. He managed to use the sonic to create a force-field, holding back the Vigil's sonic blasts; Romana came over, her head still throbbing, and strengthened it with her own sonic. Merry ran back to Clara's side, who urgently said, "You know all the stories. You must know if there's another way out".

"There's a tale, a secret song. The Thief of the Temple and the Nimmer's Door" Merry replied. "And the secret songs open the secret door? How does it go? Can you sing it?" asked Clara. Merry turned and sang a series of notes, in that lovely voice of hers; to Clara's relief it worked and a door slid open just beyond the Vigil and the Mummy. "Go!" the Doctor urged them. Clara grabbed Merry's hand, and they ran out of the Pyramid. Clara looked back to see the sonic shield flicker and fade. "Doctor! Romana!" she called.

They ran out just in the nick of time. The Mummy broke free of its case, and a beam of energy fired up at the Sun. The Vigils, who had teleported out to them, suddenly disappeared. Startled, Clara asked "Where did they go?"

"Grandfather's awake. They're of no function anymore" the Doctor explained. Clara eyed him worriedly. "Well, you could sound happier about it" she commented, and he winced. "Actually, I think I may have made a bit of a tactical boo-boo. More of a semantics mix-up, really" he admitted sheepishly, and vaguely. Clara had a bad feeling about this. "What boo-boo?"

"I thought the Old God was Grandfather, but it wasn't. It was just Grandfather's alarm clock".

"Sorry, a bit lost. Who's the Old God? Is there an Old God?"

"Unfortunately, yes" the Doctor replied, looking up at the sun which was looking…unusually active, and alarming. "Oh, my stars" Clara gasped, "What do we do?"

"Against that?" the Doctor asked incredulously, "I don't know. Do you know?" he asked Romana, who shrugged helplessly, "I don't know. Any ideas?" he tried Clara, but she shook her head. "But you promised. You promised!" Merry protested, and Romana sighed. "We did promise" she agreed. Merry looked up at the sun in terror. "He'll eat us all. He'll spread across the system, consuming the Seven Worlds. And when there's no more to eat, he'll embark on a new odyssey among the stars".

Then Clara did have an idea – well, sort of. "I say leg it" she suggested. The Doctor stared at her sceptically, and inquired "Leg it where?"

"Don't know. Lake District?"

"Oh, the Lake District's lovely. Let's definitely go there. We can eat scones. They do great scones in 1927" the Doctor agreed. He was only being a little bit sarcastic, because now that he thought about it, a trip to the Lake District for scones might be rather nice. "You're going to fight it, aren't you" said Clara. The Doctor straightened his bowtie and swallowed. "Regrettably, yes. I think I may be about to do that" he admitted.

Romana reached out and took hold of his hand. "You mean _we're _about to do that" she corrected, smiling at him. _Don't try to make me leave, Theta. Emily will be safe, she has the others, but if I leave you'll have no one _she added in private. "It's really big" Clara pointed out.

"I've seen bigger" the Doctor replied flippantly.

"Really?"

"Are you joking? It's massive!"

"I'm staying with you"

"No, you're not"

"Yes, I am. I can assist"

"No, you can't"

"What about that stuff you said, we don't walk away" Clara reminded him; the Doctor turned to her and said seriously, "No. We don't walk away. But when we're holding on to something precious, we run. We run and run as fast as we can and we don't stop running until we are out from under the shadow. Now, off you pop. Take the moped. We'll walk". He took Romana's hand and together they walked around to the back of the Pyramid to face the sun, which appeared to have eyes and a mouth. "Any ideas?" he asked Romana, who shook her head, "No, didn't think so. Righty-ho, then".

Clara and Merry rode back on the space moped to the amphitheatre; Emily ran up to meet them. "What happened? Where are my mummy and daddy?" she asked anxiously. Clara didn't know how to tell her; she just looked helplessly back at the Pyramid. Emily whimpered in distress and ran for the edge, but the Corsair rushed after her and pulled her back. "There's nothing you can do" he told her.

"Aren't they frightened?" asked Merry, and Clara nodded. "I think they are. I think they're very frightened" she agreed. Merry still felt a bit scared of the sun, but she was determined not to let it get the better of her. "I want to help" she said decisively. "So do I" agreed Clara, and Emily hurried over to them. "Me too" she said firmly. Merry stepped up on her pedestal, took a deep breath, and began to sing. "Rest now, my warrior. Rest now…"

/

Her voice resonated in the Pyramid, and the Doctor smiled at Romana. They turned to face the sun, a plan forming in their minds. "Okay, then. That's what we'll do. We'll tell you a story" the Doctor decided, taking Romana's hand as they stepped forwards. "Can you hear those people singing?" she asked the sun, "They've lived their whole lives in terror of you, their ancestors sacrificed _children _to you, trying to appease you".

"Oh, you like to think you're a god" the Doctor continued, "But you're not a god. You're just a parasite eaten out with jealousy and envy and longing for the lives of others. You feed on them, on the memory of love and loss and birth and death and joy and sorrow. So, come on, then. Take ours. Take our memories. But I hope you've got a big appetite, because we have lived a long life and we have seen a few things" he warned it. Energy tendrils stretched down towards the Time Lords. Now they'd done it.

"I walked away from the last Great Time War" the Doctor proclaimed, "I marked the passing of the Time Lords. I saw the birth of the universe and I watched as time ran out, moment by moment, until nothing remained. No time. No space. Just me!"

"I was chosen by a tyrannical spirit to be the vessel for her return, and I defeated her. I abandoned my home universe to save a species from slavery, and when I returned, I ruled a whole planet!" Romana continued.

"I walked in universes where the laws of physics were devised by the mind of a mad man. I've watched universes freeze and creations burn!"

"We've seen things you would never believe"

"We have lost things you will never understand"

"And we know things, secrets that must never be told, knowledge that must never be spoken"

"Knowledge that will make parasite gods blaze! So come on, then. Take it! Take it all, baby! Have it! You have it all!" the Doctor challenged, as the energy curled around them and coursed through them. It felt like regenerating in reverse; instead of dying, burning and rising from the ashes, they were being diminished and frozen in ice. The sun released them and they collapsed to the floor, clinging to one another, as a series of explosions tore through the sun. Both they and their enemy were weakened, but it wasn't enough.

/

Emily was singing alongside Merry, desperate to try and help her parents in some small way. Her voice was light and sweet; the song moved Clara, but she couldn't focus on it, she was just so worried about the Doctor and Romana, her honorary older sister… Clara remembered her mother's words, "And I will always come and find you. Every single time"; she remembered the Doctor's words, "We don't walk away". They were both right. You didn't walk away from family.

She looked into her bag and saw the book, 101 Places to See. She peeked inside, made sure what she needed was there, and then headed for the moped. "Wait – Clara, what are you doing?" asked Flavia as she swung her leg over. "Not walking away" she replied, firing the moped up and speeding towards the Pyramid. She skidded to a halt (which she thought was pretty impressive) and ran around to the back of the Pyramid. The Doctor and Romana were kneeling, supporting one another. Above them, the sun's face loomed menacingly.

"Still hungry?" Clara asked it as she walked forwards and opened her bag, taking out the leaf from the book. She held it up. "Well, I brought something for you - this. The most important leaf in human history, _the_ most important leaf in human history" she repeated for emphasis. The sun's 'mouth' curled into a smile. "It's full of stories, full of history. And full of a future that never got lived. Days that should have been that never were. Passed on to me" Clara continued.

A tendril of energy reached out for the leaf. "This leaf isn't just the past; it's a whole future that never happened. There are billions and millions of unlived days for every day we live. An infinity. All the days that never came. And these are all my mum's" Clara sighed, feeling tears in her eyes as her leaf began to dissolve. The Doctor and Romana had recovered by now, and came to stand on either side of her.

"Well, come on then. Eat up" the Doctor prompted, "Are you full? I expect so, because there's quite a difference, isn't there, between what was and what should have been. There's an awful lot of one, but there's an infinity of the other" he said as the leaf dissolved fully, golden particles drawing back into the sun. "And infinity's too much, even for your appetite" the Doctor finished as the sun imploded.

Romana turned to Clara and hugged her. "Thank you. That was very selfless of you, to give up your leaf for us" she told Clara, who blushed slightly at the praise. "Well…I couldn't let anything happen to my big sister. Besides, Emily was worried about you" she explained. Romana's eyes widened at the mention of her daughter. "Emily! Doctor, come on!" she urged, running back around to the moped. They returned to the amphitheatre, where Emily ran towards them arms outstretched. "Mummy! Daddy!"

"Emily!" they cried, sweeping her up into their arms and hugging her tightly. "You're wearing your hairband" the Doctor realised, and Emily nodded. "The Corsair swapped it for a picture Melody drew" she explained, and her parents looked over at the other Time Lord, who shrugged. _Thank you _they told him, before turning to look up at the Pyramid. "It doesn't look as pretty when the sun's not shining on it" Emily commented. The Doctor face-palmed in disbelief; "Of course, the sun, they still need a sun".

"How will we get a new sun?" demanded Merry, somehow managing to sound imperious and petulant at the same time. Romana set Emily down, and she hurried forward to take Merry's hand. "Come with us, you can see our blue box! It's really cool" she said encouragingly. The seven of them returned to the TARDIS. On the way, Clara asked the Corsair, "But can you do it? Can you actually make a sun?"

"Clara, the Time Lords invented _black holes. _A star is child's play" he replied flippantly. Clara wanted to ask what on Earth – or on Akhaten – he meant by 'invented black holes', but they were already at the TARDIS. The Doctor unlocked it and stepped aside. "Merry Gejelh, welcome aboard" he smiled. Emily tugged her new friend forward and into the time machine. Moments later, Merry re-emerged and ran around the blue box. She stepped back in again and declared, "It's bigger on the inside!"

The Doctor called through the door, "It is impressive, we know, but you two might want to go back to the amphitheatre with Clara. The show will be much more interesting from there" he assured them. The children re-emerged and went over to Clara. "Make sure they don't wander off" the Doctor warned her playfully, before he and the others went inside the TARDIS and dematerialised. "Where are they going?" asked Merry. "To make you a new sun, silly" Emily told her with a giggle, "come on!"

They ran back to the amphitheatre, and arrived just in time to see a sort of…bubble of energy expanding from a speck far in the distance. It phased through them all and swept onwards. "What was that?" asked Clara, feeling her skin tingle. "I think it was a gravity web, to keep the asteroids from floating away" explained Emily. As they watched, a swirl of dust began to form below the little blue spot. "Now they're making a nebula" Emily added. The dust spiralled into a point, and after what felt like an age, it began to glow.

More and more dust and gas swirled in, as the miniature star grew brighter and bigger. Merry was entranced as she watched her people's new sun take shape; she felt like she ought to sing something to mark the occasion. Clara watched as she approached her pedestal and stepped up onto it, looking out at the Pyramid. No more would they be plagued by fear of it. "Your burning darkness cannot hurt us anymore, anymore…We faced a demon and we're stronger than before" - Emily stepped up beside her and began to sing.

"Than before, and now we see the light"

"The fear has left our eyes"

"So look up at the sky and wake up! Wake up! With our new star come alive! Wake up, wake up! The future's shining bright! A brand new day is dawning, so don't sit there in mourning, for this is our time. Wake up!" they sang together, with all their hearts.

The Doctor and Romana were grinning ear to ear as they listened to the girls sing from the TARDIS. "That's our girl" the Doctor cheered proudly. The song spurred them on, and at long last, they could materialise back on Akhaten. They emerged from the TARDIS to admire their handiwork; a bright yellow sun, not very large just yet, but it would get there. "It looks great!" Emily complimented, "Merry and I were singing".

"We know, we listened, you both sounded beautiful" Romana praised. The Doctor smiled down at Merry. "Okay, the good news is your new sun can support life…the bad news is it'll be a bit colder here for a while – 500 years, give or take. Do you think you can cope with that?" he asked, and the Queen nodded. "I'll write it into the stories to be passed on. Thank you, Doctor. You and your family saved us" she said gratefully. Then she turned to Emily. "I'm very glad I met you" she told the Time Tot, before hugging her.

/

The Time Lords and Clara returned to Earth. "Home again, home again, jiggity jig" the Doctor sing-songed, bouncing Emily up and down on the chair. She giggled. Clara looked out the door and commented, "It looks different".

"It shouldn't do" said Romana, "it's the right house, right city, right planet – right day, even". Clara turned to them and stated, "You were there. At mum's grave. You were watching. What were you doing there?" she asked. The Doctor hesitated; he hadn't counted on her noticing or remembering them. "We don't know. We were just making sure" he replied.

"Of what?"

"You remind us of someone"

"Who?"

"Well, whoever she was, I'm not her, okay? If you want me to travel with you, that's fine. But as me. I'm not a bargain basement stand-in for someone else. I'm not going to compete with a ghost" Clara insisted, and Romana nodded. "You're not. You are Clara Oswald, and that is all that matters" she reassured her younger sister, who smiled gratefully and waved goodbye, walking to the door. "See you next Wednesday, same time" she said as she stepped out of the time machine.

/

A/N: Either the episodes are getting shorter or my chapters are getting longer…*shrug*. Please read and review!


	11. Cold War Pt 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who

Cold War – Part One

Aboard a Soviet submarine in the depths of the Arctic Ocean, a voice announced over the intercom, "Signal is genuine. Signal is genuine. Zero bravo". The captain, Zhukov, and his lieutenant Stepashin inserted keys into the panels for the missile controls, and turned them. Two launch doors on the deck of the submarine opened up, and Zhukov ordered, "Prepare to launch nuclear weapons".

"Aye sir" Stepashin replied obediently. The disembodied voice of a fellow crewmember stated "Moscow confirming launch sequence".

"The Firebird stands ready to serve"

"For the Motherland"

"For the Motherland"

An elderly civilian, a professor, wandered through the ship singing along to the song playing on his Walkman. "This means nothing to me. This means nothing to me. Oh, Vienna… Have I interrupted something?" he asked innocently, as he walked onto the bridge. Stepashin sighed in irritation, and Zhukov informed him, "We were about to blow up the world, Professor".

"Again?" scoffed Grisenko, before holding up his Walkman. "Ultravox. I bloody love them. Got a friend who sends me the tapes" he grinned. Zhukov turned back to the intercom and declared, "This is the Captain. Drill abandoned. All hands, stand down. Repeat, drill abandoned". Of course they weren't really going to set of nuclear weapons, not whilst the Americans had nukes of their own. "With respect, sir, we must run it again" Stepashin insisted it, but Zhukov simply replied, "Tomorrow".

Stepashin tried once more to convince him to run the drill again. "Comrade Captain, the NATO exercises"-

"Sabre rattling" Zhukov said dismissively.

"I don't think so"

"Oh, you don't think so?"

"Sir, American aggression gets more intolerable by the day. We must run the drill again" Stepashin maintained. The captain gave the same answer, they would run it tomorrow, and Stepashin turned on his heel, striding out of the room. Zhukov turned to Grisenko and asked "Did you have your specimen stowed okay?"

The old man nodded and replied, "Yeah. Piotr's looking after it". The captain sighed and decided, "Well, at least we have something to show for our little hunting expedition. What is it, a mammoth?" he asked Grisenko, who shrugged and answered "Probably".

Down in the storage compartment was a block of ice, containing something that looked a little two bipedal and hairless to be a mammoth – it was hard to make out through the thick, opaque ice, but it didn't look like any kind of animal on Earth. Piotr looked at it from every angle, his curiosity piqued. "What are you, milaya moya? Professor wants you thawed out back in Moscow, but life's too short to wait" he grinned, holding up a blowtorch.

The ice began to melt away – suddenly, the figure inside shifted and shot out an armoured hand, grasping Piotr around the throat. He dropped the blowtorch and grabbed the hand, trying to pull it from his neck. The creature squeezed until he suffocated, and then dropped him to the floor and began to claw its way free of the ice. Once it had escaped, it stomped with hydraulic hisses through the ship.

/

Chaos was rife as water flooded in and the sub sank inexorably downwards, attacked by enemy fire. Stepashin cried "Alarm! Alarm! Hold the bridge, port side!" Zhukov yelled out an order, "Evasive manoeuvres!"

Another crewmember, Onegin, was watching the readings. "Descending to two hundred metres" he warned, seeing the meter drop and drop. "We're under attack!" someone shouted, then Onegin warned, "Two ten!"

Zhukov rounded on him. "Bring her up! Bring her up!" he urged, but Onegin shook his head. "It's no good, sir" he protested helplessly. Then another, much stranger noise than the usual creaking could be heard…and a blue police box appeared out of thin air on the bridge. A young man in old fashioned clothes flung open the doors, cheering "Viva Las Vegas!" – seconds before he realised that this was _not _Vegas, not even close.

An abrupt jerk sent the Doctor and Clara, who was wearing a white evening dress, flying into the other wall. "Strangers on the bridge!" cried Stepashin, reaching for his weapon. "Daddy!" cried Emily, splashing out into the cold water and wading towards him. "Who the hell are you?" demanded Zhukov, staring in shock as three more adults emerged from the tiny looking box. How had they all even fit in there?

"Not Vegas, then" Clara commented, trying to keep the mood light. "No. No, this is much better" the Doctor replied with an excited smile, and Romana shook her head. "Only you would think a sinking Soviet sub was better than Las Vegas, dear" she told him. Emily's eyes widened as she looked around. "We're on a submarine? Cool! I've always wanted to go on a submarine!"

Stepashin had had enough. "Break out side arms. Restrain them!" he ordered, and some of the crew stepped forward. The Doctor pushed Romana and Emily behind him, glaring defiantly at the soldiers. Onegin called out, "Four ten. Four twenty. Turbines still not responding!"

Zhukov pulled his gaze from the intruders to his subordinate and claimed, "They've got to". The Doctor pulled out his sonic and scanned the controls. "Ah! Sideways momentum. You've still got sideways momentum!" he told Zhukov, who stared at him. "What?"

"Your propellers work independently of the main turbines" the Doctor explained, "You can't stop her going down but you can manoeuvre the sub laterally. Do it!" he urged. Stepashin impatiently demanded, "Get these people off the bridge now!" – but the Corsair stepped forward and insisted, "Just listen to us, we can help you".

The Doctor kept scanning, and Romana picked Emily up out of the water, holding her protectively. "Geographical anomaly to starboard" the Doctor announced, "Probably an underwater ridge". Zhukov stared at him in bewilderment. "How do you know this?" he demanded. The Doctor turned to him and asserted "Look, we have just a chance to stop the descent if we settle on it. Do it!"

"Six hundred metres; sir, six ten!"

"Or this thing is going to implode". Zhukov realised he was right, and barked "Lateral thrust to starboard, all propellers". Onegin looked at him in surprise and asked, "Sir?"

"Now!"

"You're going to let this madman give the orders?" Stepashin asked incredulously; Zhukov ignored him and once more demanded, "Lateral thrust!"

"Aye, sir! Six sixty, six eighty" – there was a rattling thud as they hit the ridge, "Descent arrested at seven hundred metres" Onegin proclaimed, and everyone present breathed a sigh of relief. Zhukov turned back to the Doctor. "It seems we owe you our lives, whoever you are" he acknowledged, a bit stiffly. The Doctor pointed at him and replied, "I'll hold you to that. Might come in handy".

"Search them" Stepashin ordered; the men hesitated and he rolled his eyes. "Yes, I know, there're three women and a child. Now search them!" he barked. _It's a good thing you left your gun behind _Flavia thought to the Corsair as the crew started patting them down. When they tried to search Emily she giggled and squirmed away from them. "Stop it, that tickles!" she laughed. Romana gave the soldier a pointed 'don't come near my daughter' glare and he backed off.

"Are we going to be okay?" Clara asked Romana, but it was Emily who replied, "Of course, Aunt Clara, my parents are here". Romana smiled at that, the faith in Emily's voice, and said "It's still quite dangerous here, darling". The Doctor nodded in agreement. "Very dangerous time, Clara. East and West standing on the brink of nuclear oblivion" he warned her as a crewmember pulled a ball of string and a Barbie doll out of his pocket. Emily gasped, "You found my doll!" she said eagerly, stretching out a hand for it. The soldier looked it over, shrugged, and handed it back to her.

"Both sides are on edge, expecting attack and ready to retaliate" Romana continued, and Clara inquired, "Isn't it always like that?"

"Sort of" the Doctor admitted, "But there are flash points and this is one. Hair, shoulder pads, nukes. It's the Eighties. Everything's bigger. I would like a receipt, please" he told the man who had just taken his sonic. It was given to Zhukov, who turned it over in his hands and asked, "What is this?" Before the Doctor could try and explain, the submarine rattled and they all staggered, Clara slipping on the wet floor and falling towards the water. The Corsair lunged forward to grab her, only to slip himself and send them both tumbling.

To make matters worse, the TARDIS suddenly decided to dematerialise. "No! No, no, no, no, no, no. No, not now!" the Doctor cried in frustration; he made to help Clara and the Corsair up, but a second, more violent shudder made Zhukov drop the sonic, Emily drop her Barbie and Clara get knocked out. When she came to, she opened her eyes to find a jacket around her shoulders. Flavia was sitting on a bench opposite her with Emily, apparently teaching the little girl how to make a cat's cradle. Voices emanated from somewhere nearby.

"Captain, we didn't attack of your ship out here. Now we need to get the pumps working to get her afloat" the Doctor was saying, and the captain replied, "We'll last till the rescue ship comes"

"It might not come", that was the Corsair, "but we're telling the truth. We didn't even know we'd end up here".

"Oh, the sinking is just a coincidence, is it? Who are you?" Zhukov demanded. Clara sat up slowly, rubbing her head, and Emily smiled. "You're awake! Does your head hurt?" she asked in concern, but Clara shook her head. "Not anymore – did the Doctor just tell the captain we're time travellers?" she asked. They left the small room which might have been the brig (did submarines have brigs?), and approached the others. Romana breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Clara awake. "How do you feel?" she inquired. "Not bad" answered Clara, with a reassuring smile.

Zhukov stared at them in incredulity. "Time travellers?" he repeated, voice tinged with disbelief. "We arrived here out of thin air. You just saw it happen" the Doctor reminded him. An elderly man that they hadn't met earlier interjected, "I didn't".

"Well, we did" said the Corsair, "and we'd invite you aboard what we came in, but it wandered off" he added, looking at the Doctor pointedly. "What _did _happen to the TARDIS?" asked Clara, and the bow tie wearing Time Lord winced. "Never mind that. Listen. Captain, breath's precious down here. Let's not waste it, eh?" he reasoned.

"You're right. Maybe I can save a little oxygen by having a few of you shot" he threatened with a glare. Emily's eyes widened. "I don't wanna be shot!" she cried, and Romana frowned at the captain. "Don't you upset my daughter, understand?" she warned, and he actually had the decency to look apologetic. "What does it matter how we arrived?" asked Clara, "The important thing is to get…out". Something breathed loudly behind her, and she turned round. Then everyone else did as well.

"Exactly! Number one priority, not suffocating" the Doctor agreed, completely oblivious. "Err, dear?" Romana tried, but the Doctor continued, "Now, what sort of state is the sub in?"

"Doctor, you"-

"What about the radio? Can we send a"-

"Doctor!" Romana snapped, spinning him around to face…an Ice Warrior, right behind them. "Ah. It never rains but it pours" he murmured. The elderly man, Professor Grisenko explained, "We were drilling for oil in the ice. I thought I'd found a mammoth".

"That is so not a mammoth" Clara muttered, and Grisenko sighed in agreement. "No".

"What is it, then?" she asked, and the Doctor replied, "It's an Ice Warrior. A native of the planet Mars. And we go way back. Way back". He approached the Ice Warrior cautiously, silently warning Romana to stay back and protect Emily. "A Martian? You can't be serious" Zhukov scoffed – he was starting to think Stepashin was right, the man was mad. "I'm always serious, with days off" the Doctor replied. Clara didn't know why he was being so flippant about this. "Doctor" she hissed.

"Just keeping it light, Clara. They're scared" he told her, and she stared at him disbelievingly. "They're scared? _I'm _scared!" Stepashin aimed his pistol at the Ice Warrior, who powered up his weapon arm. The Corsair pushed the man's arm down and the Doctor stepped between them, holding his hands out towards the Ice Warrior. "No, no, no, no, no, no! Please, please. Wait, just- there is no need for this. Just hear me out. You're confused, disorientated. Of course you are. You've been lying dormant in the ice for, for, for how long? How long, Professor?" he asked urgently.

"By my reckoning, five thousand years" Grisenko replied, and the Time Lords immediately realised they had to tread _very _carefully. "Five thousand years? That's a hell of a nap. Can't blame you if you've got out of the wrong side of bed. Look, nobody here wants to hurt you" he assured the Ice Warrior; none of them noticed Stepashin slip away. "Please, just, why don't you tell us your name?" the Doctor asked the Ice Warrior. "What are you talking about? It has a name?"

The Corsair gave him an odd look. "Why wouldn't it have a name? Look at its armour, there's insignia on it" he pointed out. "She's right. This is a soldier, and it deserves our respect" the Doctor agreed. He'd stop calling it an 'it', but it was hard to tell the gender unless it spoke. "This is madness. That is a monster!" Zhukov insisted. Then the Ice Warrior spoke, in a rasping voice. "Skaldak" he said. The Doctor couldn't believe his ears. "What did you say?"

"I am Grand Marshal Skaldak" the Ice Warrior reiterated. "Oh, no" the Doctor muttered; then to make matters worse, electricity suddenly swarmed over Skaldaks armour, and he roared in pain before collapsing to the ground, revealing Stepashin standing behind him with a cattle prod. "You idiot!" the Doctor cried, "You idiot. Grand Marshal Skaldak".

"You know him" Clara realised. The Doctor looked down at the stricken Ice Warrior. "Sovereign of the Tharsisian caste. Vanquisher of the Phobos Heresy. The greatest hero the proud Martian race has ever produced" he replied. "So what do we do now?" asked Zhukov. The Doctor turned around and answered firmly, "Lock him up!"

/

Skaldak woke to find himself chained to metal girders. "Is it true?" he rasped, and the human securing him jumped. "Err, true?" it asked; Skaldak could smell its fear. "I slept for five thousand years?" he clarified. The human answered, "Err, that's what the professor says". Skaldak could hardly believe it. "Five thousand years" he repeated.

Meanwhile, the time travellers, Zhukov, Stepashin and Grisenko had gathered in the captain's cabin. The Time Lords were endeavouring to explain Skaldak to the humans. "The Ice Warriors have a different creed, Clara" the Doctor told her, "A different code. By his own standards, Skaldak is a hero. It was said his enemies honoured him so much, they'd carve his name into their own flesh before they died". Clara pulled a face, disgusted. "Oh, yeah. Very nice. He sounds lovely" she said sarcastically.

"An Ice Warrior? Explain" Zhukov demanded. Emily perked up – she loved using what she'd learned from her parents and the Vortex to explain stuff! "They're reptiles from Mars, and when it went all freezing cold they made special suits to wear and now they're, um…bio-mechanoid?" she said slowly, looking up at her mum. Romana smiled and nodded. "Good girl, darling". Zhukov still looked confused, so the Doctor explained, "She means they're cyborgs. Their armour is designed to protect them from the cold of their home world, but a sudden increase in temperature and the suit goes haywire".

"Like with the cattle prod thing" Clara worked out, and the Doctor nodded. "Like with the cattle prod thing. Bit of a design flaw. To be honest, I've always wondered why they never sorted it" he wondered. Then Clara asked, "Is he that dangerous?"

"This one is".

Inside the torpedo room where he was imprisoned, Skaldak spoke aloud. "Find me, my brothers. If you are still out there, find me". A beacon built into his armour began to flash.

/

Some episodes feel longer to write than others. This is one of them. Oh well. Follow, favourite, review, check out my Tumblr, or better yet do all four!


	12. Cold War Pt 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who

Cold War – Part Two

"Why are we listening to this nonsense, Captain? These people are clearly enemy agents" Stepashin insisted, much to Clara's confusion. When Stepashin reiterated that they must be spies, she laughed slightly and replied "Pretty bad spies, mate. I don't even speak Russian". The lieutenant, and indeed the captain stared at her in bewilderment and suspicion. "What?" Stepashin inquired, and Clara faltered under his gaze. "I don't…" she trailed off and whispered to the Doctor, "Am I speaking Russian? How come I'm speaking Russian?"

He looked at her incredulously. "Now? We have to do this now?"

"Are they speaking Russian?"

"Seriously? Now? It's the TARDIS translation matrix" the Doctor explained briefly, and Romana pulled Clara to one side to clarify things further. "In my opinion, Comrade Captain, this creature is a Western weapon" continued Stepashin. "A weapon?" Zhukov repeated rather sceptically. He didn't really believe that this creature they had captured was from Mars, but he doubted the Americans had the technology to create something like that. Then again, there was no way to be sure… "Survival suit" Stepashin corrected, "What is the alternative? The little green man from Mars?" he scoffed.

From over by the wall, Grisenko joked, "Correction. It's a big green man from Mars". Stepashin frowned at him. "I don't appreciate your levity, Professor" he said disapprovingly, not that the professor paid any attention. "Why does that not surprise me? Maybe they're telling the truth".

"The truth?"

"Yes, a revolutionary concept, I know" Grisenko said dryly, and the Corsair smirked. _I like him _he mentioned to the others, and they agreed. Stepashin pursed his lips and turned back to the captain. "It's essential that we inform Moscow of what we have found" he insisted, and Zhukov began to lose patience with his lieutenant. "The radio's out of action, in case you hadn't noticed, Stepashin" he pointed out. "They have our last position" Stepashin reminded him, "They will find us. When they do…"

"Yes?"

"Well, the Cold War won't stay cold for ever, Captain".

"For God's sake, Stepashin, you're like a stuck record. We have other priorities right now. I want you back on repairs immediately. We need to keep this ship alive. Dismissed".

"Sir?"

"Dismissed, Stepashin" the captain repeated sternly; Stepashin saluted, turned on his heel and strode out of the cabin. "All we needed to do was let Skaldak go and he'd have forgotten us" the Doctor told Zhukov, "But you attacked him. You declared war. Harm one of us and you harm us all. That's the ancient Martian code". Grisenko frowned at his headphones, as his music faded and was replaced by a repetitive beeping. "That's Skaldaks distress call" the Corsair told him, "and if he doesn't hear a reply...we're doomed".

"Unless one of us talks to it?" the captain surmised. The Doctor nodded and added "It has to be me; I'm the only one who can".

"There are other people here who know about Ice Warriors, you know" the Corsair pointed out with a raised eyebrow. Zhukov shook his head and declared, "I'll do it. You can talk to it through me".

"Skaldak won't talk to you. You're an enemy soldier"

"And how would he know that?"

"A soldier knows another soldier. He'll smell it on you. Smell it on you a mile off"

"And we wouldn't smell it on you, Doctor?" asked Zhukov. Emily tugged on Romana's dress and asked, "Why don't you talk to him? You don't smell like a soldier, you smell like strawberries" she pointed out, and Romana laughed. The Doctor smiled fondly at her and said telepathically, _You do indeed, but you're not going in…are you? _

_Don't worry, I wasn't planning to. After all, I was a soldier as well. We all were. _Her words were unknowingly echoed by Flavia, who pointed out "In a way we're all soldiers, and Skaldak will probably recognise it even in me, and I barely fought. The only people here who we know for sure have never been – and hopefully never will be soldiers are Emily and…Clara", she put a hand to her head as she realised too late what she'd done.

Clara smiled and said, "Well, then I think the answer is obvious, isn't it? Emily's too young, and I don't smell of anything, to my knowledge".

"You? No! No! No way. You're not going in there alone, Clara, absolutely not, no, no, never" the Doctor refused.

/

Ten minutes later, a very nervous Clara was stepping through the bulkhead door of the torpedo room. It closed behind her as she put on a headset and picked up an inspection light. It made her feel a little better to know that the Corsair was waiting on the other side; the others were watching everything on a small screen in the cabin. "With your permission?" the Doctor asked, gesturing to the intercom microphone. "Be my guest" replied Zhukov.

The Doctor put on the headset and tuned it into the right frequency. "Ready Clara?" he asked.

"Yeah"

"Okay" he prompted; Clara took a deep breath and walked cautiously towards the armoured Ice Warrior until she stood in front of it. "Grand Marshal Skaldak" she greeted, trying to not let her voice shake. "The salute, do the salute like I showed you" the Doctor reminded her, and she quickly pressed her right fist to her left shoulder. "Good. Good. Now, like we rehearsed. Sovereign of the Tharsisian caste…"

"Sovereign of the Tharsisian caste. By the moons, I honour thee"

"Good. It's okay, Clara. Go closer" the Doctor prompted, and she edged a bit nearer to the Ice Warrior. "Grand Marshal, I'm, we're sorry about this" she said honestly.

"It is not what you deserve"

"It isn't what you deserve" repeated Clara, just before the lights went out and they were both plunged into darkness. "Oh. Oh, great" she muttered. Fortunately she could still hear the Doctor. "Hey, it's okay, Clara. Keep going" he encouraged. Swallowing her fear, she abandoned the inspection light and pulled out a torch instead. "You're a long way from home…" she continued.

"Five thousand years"

"…And five thousand years adrift in time. Please, let us help you. You are not our enemy".

"And yet I am in chains" Skaldak rasped pointedly. "Doctor, what do I say?" Clara asked quietly; but not quietly enough, it seemed. "Yes, Doctor. What should she say?" asked Skaldak. In the cabin, the Doctor and Romana glanced at one another. "I think he wants to speak to the organ grinder, not to the monkey" Grisenko remarked, and Clara frowned slightly in indignation. "I heard that" she muttered back, before taking off her headset.

"You are restrained until we can trust each other, Skaldak. You would do exactly the same in my position, and don't even think about using that sonic weapon. Not in the torpedo room" the Doctor warned. After a pause, Skaldak spoke again. "I was Fleet Commander of the Nix Tharsis" he reminisced, "My daughter stood by me. It was her first taste of action. We sang the songs of the Old Times. The Songs of the Red Snow. Five thousand years. Now my daughter will be dust. Only dust" he lamented.

Clara realised, despite the obvious emotion in Skaldak's words, he hadn't moved. In fact, he hadn't really moved since she'd come in… "No, no, no. Listen, your people live on Skaldak, scattered all across the universe. And Mars will rise again, I promise you. Just let me help you" the Doctor offered hurriedly. "I require no help" Skaldak refused, "there will be no help". All the while, Clara was approaching the Ice Warrior. "Careful, Clara" the Doctor warned her.

"I'm okay"

"I'm okay. Doctor, something's wrong"

"What?"

Clara reached out and touched Skaldak's helmet – only for it to fall back under her touch, revealing emptiness inside. "It's not there, it's gone!" she exclaimed, stumbling backwards. The armour opened up with a hiss, and it was definitely empty. "Gone? Gone? Gone? What do you mean, gone?" the Doctor demanded frantically. "I think it's sort of obvious, dear, he's not in his armour" Romana pointed out.

Skaldak's voice emanated from seemingly all over the room, making Clara spin around trying to spot him. "It is time I learned the measure of my enemies, and what this vessel is capable of. Harm one of us and you harm us all. By the Moons, this I swear" he roared. Clara was startled out of her shock by the Corsair shouting, "Clara, get out of there now!" She wasted no time in dashing for the door and scrambling out, helped by the Corsair – then something large and scaly shoved past them and shot down the hallway, leaving Clara and the Corsair sprawled on the floor and knocked out.

"Now, I've never seen one do this before. Actually, I've never seen one out of its armour before" the Doctor told Zhukov, and then Grisenko asked, "Won't it be more vulnerable out of its shell?" The Doctor shook his head. "No, it will be more dangerous" he replied, hurrying out of the cabin and towards the torpedo room. When he arrived, the Corsair was just trying to rouse a still dazed Clara. "Clara! Clara, is she okay? Are you okay, Clara?" the Doctor asked worriedly as she blinked and sat up. "I'm okay. Ha, ha! I'm okay. I'm okay! Where did he go?" she asked, looking around for Skaldak.

"He shot off down that way, I think" replied the Corsair as he helped Clara to her feet. "How did I do? Was I okay?" she asked him and the Doctor. "This wasn't a test, Clara" the Doctor reminded her.

"I know, but"-

"You were great, yeah"

"Really?"

"Really" the Doctor smiled reassuringly. They returned to the cabin, where Grisenko was picking up some irregular beeping on his Walkman headphones. "Doctor? The signal, it's stopped" he stated, and indeed there was no longer a repetitive beeping emanating from the headphones. "Skaldak got no answer from his Martian brothers. Now he's given up hope" said the Doctor. "Hope of what?" asked Zhukov.

"Being rescued" the Doctor replied, "He thinks he's been abandoned. He's got nothing left to lose".

/

They decided to move from the cabin to the control room, so that Zhukov could address the crew. As they made their way down a corridor, Zhukov asked "But what can he do, stuck down here like the rest of us? How bad can it be?" The Corsair was just behind him, and held an imaginary microphone to his mouth as he announced mockingly, "And the winner of the daftest question asked today is Captain Zhukov!"

"This sub's stuffed with nuclear missiles, Zhukov" the Doctor pointed out, "It's fat with them. What do you think Skaldak's going to do when he finds that out? How bad can it be? How bad can it be? It couldn't be any worse" he announced…right before a hatch was knocked open and water began to pour in. "Okay, spoke too soon" he winced awkwardly.

Meanwhile, Stepashin was working on repairs in the turbine room alone. He heard clanging and went to investigate, ready and eager to give a subordinate a stern dressing down for messing about in an emergency. Hello? Who's there? Who's there? Who's there!" he called, pointing his torch towards the pipes. Suddenly, scaly three fingered hands with sharp claws reached down and grabbed both sides of his head. Stepashin froze. "What do you want with me?" he asked. The creature replied in its deep, rasping voice, "Much".

In the control room, Zhukov addressed his assembled crew. "Comrades, you know our situation. The reactor is drowned. We are totally reliant on battery power and our air is running out. Rescue is unlikely, but we still have a mission to fulfil. If the Doctor and his comrades are right, then we are all that stands between this creature and the destruction of the world. Control of one missile is all he needs. We are expendable, comrades. Our world is not. I know I can rely on every one of you to do his duty without fail. That is all".

Stepashin began to try to bargain for his life. "Listen to me" he said quickly, "We both understand each other. This, this mewling time of peace, it doesn't suit us. We are both warriors, and together we can form an alliance".

"An alliance?"

"To win the Cold War"

"Cold War?"

"Both sides are capable of completely obliterating the other. It's a state we call mutually assured destruction"

"Mutually assured destruction" Skaldak repeated, "But this has not occurred"

"No"

"Not yet"

/

Clara stood next to the Time Ladies, including Emily, watching as the Time Lords discussed the situation with Zhukov and his men. "Hey, Romana, can I ask you something? Even if a missile did get launched, that wouldn't be it, would it?" she inquired; Romana looked genuinely puzzled, and asked "What do you mean, 'it'?"

"End of the world. Game over. I mean, what if they fired one by accident. What would happen then?"

"It's like the Doctor said, both sides are 'baring their teeth'; if even a regular missile was launched, the side it hit would never believe it was unintentional. They'd retaliate, probably immediately, and everything would escalate into a nuclear war" Flavia pointed out. That was something she'd never understood about the Doctor's love of humans, why he cared so for a race that was more than willing to destroy itself over petty differences in ideologies. Of course, not all humans were that narrow minded and warmongering, so she supposed that was the main thing.

"Yeah, but the world didn't end in 1983, did it, or I wouldn't be here" Clara pointed out; Emily looked up and said, "But Aunt Clara, time is all wibbley wobbley timey wimey! It can change, the world _could _end now. But it won't, because we'll stop it somehow" she added with her usual innocent confidence.

Over by the control panels, the Doctor asked Zhukov, "How many of us are left?"

"Twelve. And we can't find Stepashin"

"We split up and comb this sub. One team stays here to guard the bridge"

"That's it? That's the plan?"

"Well, either we find him and try to get him to stop, or we wait for him to find us and kill us" the Corsair laid out the options, and Zhukov agreed that their plan was probably the best. Clara came over and asked the Doctor; "Is it true you've never seen one outside of its shell suit?"

"Shell suit? Clara! For an Ice Warrior to leave its armour is the gravest dishonour. Skaldak is desperate. He is deadly and we have got to find him" the Doctor insisted. "Will this help?" asked Grisenko, holding up the sonic screwdriver. "Ah! You saved it" the Doctor said gratefully, taking it back and kissing it. "No, no, it was on the floor with this" the professor explained, holding up the Barbie doll. Emily spotted it and cheered, "My doll!"

Grisenko ignored the creaking in his old knees to crouch down and offer the little girl her doll back like a proper gentleman. "For you, madam" he smiled, holding it out. Emily took the doll and said "Thank you very much, Professor", before stepping closer and kissing him on the cheek. She skipped back to her mum as the Corsair helped Grisenko to his feet. The old man couldn't wipe the smile off his face. "What a nice young girl" he murmured.


	13. Cold War Pt 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who

A/N: OMG how cool was 'Dark Water'? I thought it was great; I watched it with my best friend, my mum and my grandma and I was the first one of us to work out that the skeletons were Cybermen. How did I know that? Because they were in the trailers and I put two and two together. Also, the Master's back!

Cold War – Part Three

Two of the crew, Onegin and Belevich, were making their way through the submarine in search of Stepashin. "Do you think it's true, sir? A Martian?" Onegin asked his superior, who only replied, "I don't know what to think".

In another part of the submarine, the others were searching for Skaldak. Clara found herself beside Professor Grisenko and inquired, "So, why have you got a cattle prod on a submarine?"

"Polar bears" he said simply, and she nodded, "Ah, right". Grisenko expounded upon his answer, and explained "We run across them when we're drilling. Can be quite nasty, you know" he commented, and Clara proclaimed "I'd swap one for an Ice Warrior any day. Cuddlier" – she didn't mean it of course, polar bears might be furrier than an Ice Warrior but they were still dangerous. "Courage, my dear" Grisenko said encouragingly, "I always sing a song".

"What?"

"To keep my spirits up"

"Yeah, that would work, if this was Pinocchio" Clara said sceptically. Up ahead, the Doctor somehow managed to set off some alarms, which Zhukov quickly shut down before glaring impatiently at the sheepish looking Time Lord. "Do you know Hungry Like The Wolf?" Grisenko asked out of the blue.

"What?"

"Duran Duran. One of my favourites. Come on"

"I'm not singing a song"

The Doctor opened a hatch and stuck his head inside; they heard a growl from somewhere inside the submarine. "What was that?" asked Clara. Flavia opened her mouth to point out it was most likely Skaldak, but the Doctor quickly answered "Pressure. Just pressure. We're seven hundred metres down, remember?" he reminded her, silently warning the others not to scare her. "Don't worry about it. Think of something else. Da, da, da, da, da, I am hungry like the wolf" Grisenko sang.

"I'm not singing" Clara insisted firmly. "Don't you know it?" asked Grisenko, and she replied "Course I know it. We do it at karaoke, the odd hen night". The old professor looked at her oddly at that. "Karaoke? Hen night? You speak excellent Russian, my dear, but sometimes I don't understand a word you're talking about" he shook his head, and she hid a smile.

/

"If we get out of here, we'll be bloody heroes" Onegin told Belevich, who wasn't quite as certain of this fact. "_If _we get out of here" he repeated, but Onegin ignored him and carried on talking. "The first people in the world to discover a genuine, living"-

"Alien?" finished Belevich, not realising that the helmsman had been plucked from the ground by Skaldak. "I don't know. You hear stories, don't you. Stories about the things the Kremlin doesn't want us to…Onegin? Onegin!" he called. There was a growl above his head; he looked up and screamed. The others heard the screams and growls, and hurried towards them. When they arrived, Skaldak was gone, and the crewmen's dismembered bodies lay on the ground. "Don't look, sweetheart" Romana warned Emily, pulling her back.

Clara wished she'd been warned; the sight of the corpses shook her deeply. "Good God. Torn apart. It's a monster, a savage" breathed Grisenko, and she was inclined to agree. "No, Professor. Not savage. Forensic" the Doctor corrected, "Well, he's dismantled them. Skaldak's learning. Learning all about you. Your strengths, your weaknesses. Come on". He led them down a passage way into a compartment and told Flavia, Emily, Grisenko and Clara to stay behind. "Okay, daddy" Emily said obediently, slipping her hand into Clara's. "Yeah, okay" Clara added.

The Doctor pointed a warning finger at her. "Stay here, don't argue" he warned, and she nodded. "I'm not". This threw him for a loop a bit – he was used to companions who never listened, but this was a nice change of pace. "Right, good" the Doctor nodded. He, Romana and the Corsair climbed up a ladder. Grisenko sat down on some crates, rubbing his knees. "Oh, it's a young man's game, all this dashing about" he remarked. Emily looked up at Clara and asked worriedly, "Aunt Clara, are you okay?"

Flavia also looked at the girl in concern. "Clara, what's wrong?" she asked, and Clara bit her lip. "I was doing okay" she began, "I mean, I went in there and I did the scary stuff, didn't I? I went in there with the Ice Warrior and it went okay. Actually, it went just about as badly as it could have done but that wasn't my fault".

"Of course it wasn't"

"So I'm happy about that"

"Understandable"

"Chuffed"

"And so you should be" Grisenko agreed, "So, what's the matter?" he asked, just as troubled as the other two. He liked Clara, and he'd grown quite fond of Emily; he really didn't like to see either of them upset. "Seeing those bodies back there" Clara explained, gesturing back the way they came, "It's all got very real. Are we going to make it?" she asked Flavia. "Of course! My mummy and daddy will stop Skaldak, trust them!" Emily insisted. Flavia sighed and admitted, "The Doctor does have an incredible track record for getting out of impossible seeming situations. I wouldn't worry too much, Clara".

The four of them waited in silence for a minute or so, and then they heard creaking and groaning, growling sounds… "What was that?" asked Clara, feeling jumpy. "The Doctor told you, it's just the boat settling. Tell me about yourselves. What do you like doing? Clara? Emily? Flavia…is that French?"

"Err, yes?"

"I like drawing" piped up Emily, "and playing with my toys and my friends, and exploring my daddy's time machine. It's bigger on the inside and it goes on forever!" she revealed enthusiastically to Grisenko, who listened in interest. "It sounds amazing" he agreed, "what about you, Clara? What do you like doing?" he asked. Distracted, Clara merely answered "Stuff, just stuff".

"Stuff, very enlightening" Grisenko said with an amused smile, "And your daddy, what he said. Is it true you're from another time? From our future?" he asked Emily, who hesitated and looked at Flavia. The Time Lady didn't see any point in trying to lie, so she just admitted, "Yes, technically".

"Tell me what happens"

"I'm afraid we can't do that"

asserted

"Well, I need to know"

"Professor, we really can't tell you anything"

"No, please"

"I mean it!"

"Ultravox, do they split up?" Grisenko asked urgently, and Flavia blinked in surprise. Clara laughed aloud, and Emily smiled even though she wasn't sure what Ultravox was. "Funny, you're funny" Clara told Grisenko with a grin, which swiftly disappeared as Skaldak grabbed her head from above. Emily screamed in fright and hurried to hide behind Flavia. "Let her go!" warned Grisenko, aiming a weapon at the Ice Warrior. "No, wait" Flavia tried to warn him, but Grisenko fired anyway. Skaldak let Clara go and she hurried over to Flavia and Emily.

"See? I don't just like Western music" Grisenko pointed out, moments before Skaldak reached down and held his head instead. "No, please don't hurt him. Please!" Clara begged as the other Time Lords and Captain Zhukov ran up. "You attacked me" Skaldak growled, "Martian law decrees that the people of this planet are forfeit. I now have all the information I require. It will take only one missile to begin the process, to end this Cold War".

"Grand Marshal, there is no need for this. Listen to me" the Doctor implored him, but Skaldak did not listen. "My distress call has not been answered. It will never be answered. My people are dead. They are dust. There is nothing left for me except my revenge" he asserted, but Romana spoke up and said "Revenge never has to be the only thing left, Grand Marshal. You can still show mercy"

"Mercy?" Skaldak repeated, half mocking and half curious. Before Romana or the Doctor could follow up on that, Zhukov announced, "You must wear that armour for a reason, my friend. Let's see, shall we?" he asked, aiming his gun at the Ice Warrior. "No, Captain, wait!" the Doctor warned as the Corsair pushed the weapon back down. "I will do whatever it takes to defend my world" claimed Zhukov, and the Doctor nodded. "Yes, great, fine, good, but we are getting somewhere here. We are negotiating. Jaw-jaw not war-war" he quoted.

"Churchill?" guessed Grisenko, who was being remarkably calm for someone who was in deadly danger. "Churchill" the Doctor confirmed. Zhukov didn't aim his gun at Skaldak, but he didn't lower it fully either. "Very well, we'll negotiate, but from a position of strength" he decided firmly. "Excellent tactical thinking. My congratulations, Captain" Skaldak complimented Zhukov, who gave a short nod of acknowledgement and said "Thank you"

"Unfortunately, your position is not, perhaps, as strong as you might hope" Skaldak continued, which gave the Time Lords a very bad feeling. "What do you mean?" asked the Doctor, and then the answer came in the form of Skaldak's armour, which had broken its shackles and stomped all the way to them. Skaldak released Grisenko and slithered past them all too fast for them to see him properly, dropping into the armour and turning away. "How did it do that?" asked Clara, not knowing how the suit could move on its own.

"Sonic tech, Clara, and Skaldak's a 'he'" the Doctor reminded her as they chased Skaldak down the corridor. A crewman tried to fire at the back of the armour to no avail, and the Doctor darted forwards to stop him. "No!" he cried, but it was too late; Skaldak was more angered than ever, and killed the man with one shot. "My world is dead but now there will be a second red planet. Red with the blood of humanity!" he announced darkly. "Skaldak! Skaldak, wait!" the Doctor called desperately. The Ice Warrior stomped into the control room, and Zhukov called out a warning to the crew members inside not to engage him.

Skaldak hooked his armour up to the control panel, and the key to launch a missile twisted. "No! Skaldak, wait! Wait, wait" the Doctor pleaded; Emily hid behind her mother, the Corsair stood tensed and wished he had his gun with him, Flavia and Clara stood watching in alarm. "He's arming the warheads" Zhukov realised, and the Doctor knew he had to act fast. "Where is the honour in condemning billions of innocents to death?

"Five thousand years ago Mars was the centre of a vast empire. The jewel of this solar system. The people of Earth had only just begun to leave their caves. Five thousand years isn't such a long time. They're still just frightened children, still primitive. Who are you to judge them?" he demanded of Skaldak, who unplugged himself from the computer and turned to the Doctor. "I am Skaldak! This planet is forfeit under Martian law" he growled.

"Then _teach _them. Teach them, Grand Marshal. Show them another way. Show them there is honour in mercy. Is this how you want history to remember you? Grand Marshal Skaldak, Destroyer of Earth. Because that's what you'll be if you send those missiles. Not a soldier, a murderer. Five billion lives extinguished. No chance for goodbyes. A world snuffed out like a candle flame!" the Doctor continued, but Skaldak didn't budge. "All right. All right, Skaldak, you leave me no choice. I'm a Time Lord, Skaldak. I know a thing or two about sonic technology myself" he warned, holding up his sonic.

"A threat? You threaten me, Doctor?" asked Skaldak, and the Doctor set his jaw. "No. No, not you, all of us. I will blow this sub up before you can even reach that button, Grand Marshal. Blow us all to oblivion" he warned tensely. "You would sacrifice yourself? Your mate, your child?" asked Skaldak, turning his head slightly to stare at Romana standing a little way behind the Doctor, Emily clutched in her arms. The Doctor faltered, but then Romana squared her shoulders and said "I can teleport Emily back to the TARDIS, no matter where it is".

"Mutually assured destruction" sneered Skaldak, and the Doctor side stepped a bit to block his view of Romana and Emily. "Look into my eyes, Skaldak. Look into my eyes and tell me you're capable of doing this. Huh? Can you do that? Dare you do that? Look into my eyes, Skaldak. Come on. Face to face" he challenged the Ice Warrior. "Well Doctor", replied Skaldak as he removed his helmet, "which of us shall blink first?"

Clara felt that she needed to do something, say something. This was terrifying but she wanted to be in control somehow. "Why did you hesitate?" she asked nervously, "Back there, in the dark. You were going to kill this man, remember? I begged you not to, and you listened. Why show compassion then, Skaldak, and not now? The Doctor's right. Billions will die. Mothers, sons, fathers, daughters. Remember that last battle, Skaldak? Your daughter. You sang the songs…."

"Of the Red Snow" Skaldak finished reminiscently, and then the submarine rocked. "What's happening?" asked Clara, stumbling slightly. "My people live. They have come for me!" Skaldak exclaimed, as Zhukov and Grisenko checked the controls with wide eyes. "We're rising!"

"Six hundred metres, five fifty…"

They broke through the ice on the surface with a creak and crack. "We've surfaced. Your people have saved us" the Doctor said to Skaldak, who merely sneered in reply, "Saved _me, _not you". The Doctor wasn't in the mood to argue with him, so he simply added "Just go, Skaldak, please. Please, go in peace". The Ice Warrior was teleported away, and Clara thought it was over. "We did it. We did it!" she exclaimed happily.

"No. No, no, no, no, no. It's still armed. A single pulse from that ship..." the Doctor warned them, closing his eyes. "I'll destroy us if I have to. I will destroy us if I have to. Show mercy, Skaldak. Come on. Show mercy" he murmured under his breath. Everyone waited, hardly daring to breathe…and just to calm herself down, Clara took the professors advice and sang a bit of the song under her breath, "I'm lost and I'm found, and I'm hungry like the wolf".

Then to everyone's immense relief, the nuclear warhead disarmed itself; the Doctor switched off his sonic and pulled Romana and Emily into a tight hug. "Okay, _now _we did it" the Corsair told Clara, who laughed. "Ahem. Saved the world, then?" she asked.

"We did indeed"

"That's what we do"

"Usually, yeah"

/

They went out onto the submarine deck – it did have one – and admired the Martian spaceship above them. Something important occurred to Clara, that she'd completely forgotten about with everything else going on. "The TARDIS! Where's the TARDIS? You never explained" she reminded the Doctor, who shifted in place and looked embarrassed. "Oh well, don't worry about that" he hedged.

"Stop saying that. Where is it?"

"Yeah. Well, I wasn't to know, was I?"

"Know what?"

"I've been tinkering, breaking her in. I'm allowed!" the Doctor defended, making Romana eye him suspiciously. He hadn't told _her _where the TARDIS was either. "Dear, what did you do?" He mumbled something in reply that made both Romana and Clara say "Huh?"

"I reset the HADS"

"The what?" Clara asked in bewilderment. "It's short for Hostile Action Displacement System. If the TARDIS comes under attack from say, gunfire, time winds, and apparently the sea, it relocates" explained the Corsair, and Clara shook her head in disbelief. "Oh, Doctor".

"Haven't used it in donkey's years. It seemed like a good idea at the time. Well, never mind, it's bound to turn up somewhere" he reasoned, and just then, his sonic began to whirr. "Ooh, ha, see? Right on cue, brilliant" he smiled, checking the results. "So where is it?" asked Flavia.

"It's at the Pole"

"Not far, then"

"The south pole"

"Ah"

The Doctor turned to Zhukov and asked, "Can we have a lift?" The captain only laughed and clapped him on the shoulder, before going below deck. Clara followed him, but the Time Lords stayed looking up at the spaceship, saluting it as it flew away.


	14. Hide Pt 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who

Hide – Part One

In the dark of night at Caliburn House, two paranormal investigators were researching 'The Caliburn Ghast', a mysterious female figure who had haunted the house and the land it was built on for countless centuries. They had set up their equipment in the entrance hall and were just fine tuning it all whilst their 'bodyguard' searched the house for clues. "How are we looking?" asked Emma Grayling.

"Oh, about ready I think" replied Professor Alec Palmer, "unless you want to wait until our extra assistant returns" he added, but Emma shook her head. "No, she said she didn't mind if we started without her. So, any thoughts on the interference?" she asked, and he replied "Err, a stray FM broadcast, possibly. I've fitted some ferrite suppressors and some RF chokes, just in case. Are you sure you want to go through with this? I mean, the last time, it was very…" he trailed off, but the implication was clear.

"But she's so lonely" Emma said sadly, so Alec cleared his throat and nodded. "Excellent, then, excellent" he smiled, before speaking into a microphone, "Caliburn House, night four, November 25th, 1974. 11.04 pm". Emma took a calming breath and began to call out to the spirit. "I'm talking to the spirit that inhabits this house. Are you there? Can you hear me? I'm speaking to the lost soul that abides in this place" she said aloud. There was a definite spike on the paper graph, so Emma continued talking.

Come to me. Speak to me. Let me show you the way home" she called. Alec winced as a painfully loud noise sounded through his headphones and he pulled them off quickly. "Let me show you the way home!" Emma repeated; Alec grabbed his camera and snapped photo after photo of the white, blurry image approaching them. Emma gasped as if she'd been struck, and staggered to a chair, collapsing onto it. The ghost disappeared and Alec hurried over to check on her. "Emma?" he asked in concern.

"She's so…"

"What?"

"…dead". They both jumped as a knock on the door sounded. Alec went to the door and opened it, peering out cautiously only to see nobody out there. "Boo!" exclaimed a childish voice, and he looked down to see a little blond girl smiling up at him. A young man stepped from behind the door, and picked the child up. "Hello, we're looking for a ghost" he smiled at Alec, who asked suspiciously, "And you are?"

"Ghostbusters!" the little girl cheered. "Can we come in?" she added politely, so Alec pulled the door open and _six_ people entered; what kind of circus was this? "I'm the Doctor" said the first man, flashing some credentials that showed they were from the ministry, "this is my wife Romana, our daughter Emily, her godparents Flavia and the Corsair and my wife's sister Clara" he introduced, gesturing at his colleagues, the last one of whom gave Alec a sheepish wave.

"Ah, but you are very different" the Doctor continued enthusiastically, "You are Major Alec Palmer. Member of the Baker Street Irregulars, the Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. Specialised in espionage, sabotage and reconnaissance behind enemy lines. You're a talented watercolourist, professor of psychology and ghost hunter. Total pleasure. Massive" he beamed, vigorously shaking the majors hand. Emma spoke up for the first time and said, "Actually, you're wrong. Professor Palmer spent most of the war as a POW".

"_Actually_, that's a lie told by a very brave man involved in very secret operations. The type of man who keeps a Victoria Cross in a box in the attic, eh? But you know that, because you're Emma Grayling, the Professor's companion" the Doctor smiled at Emma. "Assistant" she corrected him, and he went on, "It's 1974. You're the assistant and non-objective equipment. Meaning psychic" he added for Clara's benefit. "Getting that" she nodded, "bless you, though".

Alec noticed Emma looking at him worriedly, so he reassured her, "Relax, Emma, they're Military Intelligence. I wish you had sent notice though, not even Miss Noble informed me that"-

"Miss Noble? We never heard anything about Miss Noble. Who Noble? Love a Noble, me, one of my best friends is a Noble" the Doctor rambled, but the curious smile disappeared from his face when he heard an impossible voice coming from the corridor. "Mr Palmer? I've searched everywhere and I think I've…oh, sorry, I didn't realise we had, um, company" said a teenage blond girl as she stepped into the room. "Err, hello, my name's"-

"Jenny"

"What?"

"Jenny. My Jenny" the Doctor said aloud, staring at her in disbelief. Romana gasped and put a hand to her mouth, but the others were confused; particularly Jenny herself, as she eyed the Doctor apprehensively and inquired, "Um, do I know you?" He approached her slowly, and explained, "Jenny, it's _me, _it's the Doctor. I know, I look different but I can prove it's me. The last thing I told you before you…disappeared was 'You're going to be amazing'. Looks like I was right".

Jenny eyes widened in shock. "Hello" he smiled at her. "Hello, dad" she replied shakily, a few tears appearing in her eyes. They pulled each other into a tight hug as Clara gaped at them in surprise. "Dad? How many kids do you have?" she asked Romana incredulously, who chuckled. "I have a big sister?" asked Emily, her eyes widening, "I have a big sister! Oh my gosh, this is so cool, you _do _look like my sister, we're both blonde, I'm Emily, hi!" she rambled animatedly, giving a rather taken aback Jenny a hug. The older girl laughed and hugged her back, beaming.

Alec cleared his throat. "Yes, this is all very heartwarming but if we could get back to the matter at hand" he said pointedly, and the Doctor answered, "Right, yes, we're… Health and safety. Yeah, the Ministry got wind of what's going on down here. Sent us to check that everything's in order".

"And you brought a child?"

"We're getting her into the family business early" the Doctor shrugged, "Don't worry, guv'nor, we'll be out of your hair in five minutes. Oh! Oh, look. Oh, lovely. The ACR 99821. Oh, bliss. Nice action on the toggle switches. You know, I do love a toggle switch. Actually, I like the word toggle. Nice noun. Excellent verb. Sweetheart, don't change the settings" he warned Emily, who had come over to toggle the switch herself. He pulled out his sonic screwdriver and began to scan the room. "What's that?" asked Alec.

"Gadget" the Doctor replied, "Health and safety. Classified, I'm afraid. You know, while the back room boffins work out a few kinks"

"What's it telling you?"

"It's telling me that you haven't been exposed to any life-threatening transmundane emanations. So, where's the ghost? Show us the ghost. It's ghost time".

/

The whole group went down a corridor, Jenny in front carrying a candelabrum, the Doctor and Emily behind her, and then Alec and Clara, Romana and Emma, with Flavia and the Corsair bringing up the rear. "I will not have this stolen out from under me, do you understand?" Alec demanded of the Doctor, who replied honestly, "Err, no, not really, sorry".

"I will not have my work stolen, then be fobbed off with a pat on the back and a letter from the Queen. Never again. This is my house, Doctor, and it belongs to me" he explained, and Clara stared at him in surprise. This is actually your house?" she asked him.

"It is"

"Sorry. You went to the bank and said, 'you know that gigantic old haunted house on the moors? The one the dossers are too scared to doss in? The one the birds are too scared to fly over?' And then you said, 'I'd like to buy it, please, with my money'"

"Yes, I did, actually"

"That's incredibly brave" Clara said approvingly. Something creaked, a floorboard probably. The Doctor had a lot of questions, but he wanted to ask them privately, so he tentatively reached out to Jenny's mind. _Jenny? Can you hear me? _

_Yeah…you're in my head, this is weird…what's wrong? _

_How are you alive? How did you get from Messaline to England? _

_I don't know, I remember dying and then I woke up. I stole a shuttle and went to explore the universe, but then it crashed. I got hold of a Vortex Manipulator and hopped to 1970…I was aiming for 2008. I thought if I waited long enough, you might turn up…I didn't think you'd look as young as me when you did. _She went through a door into a living room, with plenty of burning lamps, and snacks and drinks on a collapsible table. Emily took a sandwich and curled up on her mother's lap in an armchair, eating it.

"Jenny?" Romana smiled at the teenage Gallifreyan, patting the armchair beside her. Jenny took the hint and sat down. "How come you never said I had a big sister?" Emily asked Romana with a pout, but Jenny answered for her. "I sort of…died, and my dad didn't know I came back to life" she explained.

"You regenerated? What did you look like before?" asked Emily. Jenny looked puzzled, so Romana explained "Regeneration is when Time Lords change form when they're dying, it's why your dad looks different than he did when you first met him".

"Oh, I see. I didn't do that- at least, I didn't change. I think it was the Source that terraformed Messaline, it revived me somehow. I got to Earth with a Vortex Manipulator, I was aiming for 2008 but I got 1970 instead. I've just being doing odd jobs in London ever since – like this one, I'm basically hired protection for Major Palmer" Jenny shrugged. She had got the job by taking out five mock-attackers in a drill, but she didn't like to advertise the fact that she was still, deep down, a soldier.

"Ro!" the Doctor called cheerfully, "Jenny, Emily, come and have a look at this", he beckoned them over to a board covered in photographs of the ghost. "Caliburn House is over four hundred years old, but she has been here much longer. The Caliburn Ghast" revealed Alec, showing images not of the house but the land it was built on. "She's mentioned in local Saxon poetry and parish folk tales. The Wraith of the Lady, the Maiden in the Dark, the Witch of the Well" he continued.

"Is she real? As in, actually real?" asked Clara, and Flavia scoffed slightly. "There's no such thing as ghosts, Clara" she insisted lightly, and the Corsair smirked. "You wouldn't be so dismissive if it were a spider we were after" he pointed out.

"Shut up"

Alec told Clara, "Ghost or not, she's real. In the seventeenth century, a local clergyman saw her. He wrote that her presence was accompanied by a dreadful knocking, as if the Devil himself demanded entry. During the war, American airmen stationed here left offerings of tinned Spam. The tins were found in 1965, bricked up in the servants' pantry, along with a number of handwritten notes. Appeals to the Ghast. For the love of God, stop screaming" he explained.

Clara examined the photos and noticed something peculiar. "She never changes. The angle's different, the framing, but she's always in exactly the same position. Why is that?" she wondered curiously. "We don't know" admitted Alec, "She's an objective phenomenon, but objective recording equipment can't detect her"

"Ooh, unless you have a psychic like Emma, right?" Emily guessed, and Alec nodded. "Absolutely. Very well done" he praised, and the little girl practically glowed. "She knows I'm here. I can feel her calling out to me" revealed Emma, and Clara inquired, "What's she saying?"

"Help me"

A shadow streaked past the doorway, but nobody noticed it, focused as they were on Emma. "The Witch of the Well. So where's the well?" the Doctor questioned, and Alec unfurled a piece of paper onto a table. "A copy of the oldest plan that we could find" he explained, "There is no well on the property; none that we could find, anyway".

Jenny crouched down beside Emily and smiled at her. "You're very brave" she complimented, but Emily just shrugged. "That's because I know I'm safe; besides, I am frightened. I'm scared of the dark" she whispered, and Jenny smiled in understanding. "Well, being frightened and keeping going is what being brave is all about" she said knowingly. Emily smiled and replied, "Yeah, that's what my daddy says – fear is like a superpower"

"Do you want to find this ghost?"

"Yeah"

"Then I think I know where to start looking", Jenny winked at her and stood up, offering her hand to Emily. The younger girl took it and they walked over to the others. "Dad?" Jenny began, getting the Doctor's attention, "back in the hall, I was going to tell Mr Palmer that I found a cold spot in the music room. It might be worth investigating" she suggested, and the others approved. The Doctor looked at Clara expectantly. She swallowed and challenged, "Fine, dare me"

"I dare you. No takesies backsies" he winked at her, as the Corsair pulled out a large torch from his pocket. "After you" he said with an exaggerated bow to Jenny, who chuckled and led the way through the house to the music room. As they walked through the house, Clara asked the Doctor, "Say we actually find her. What do we say?"

"We ask her how she came to be whatever she is"

"Why?"

"Because I don't know, and ignorance is… what's the opposite of bliss?"

"Carlisle"

"Yes. Yes, Carlisle. Ignorance is Carlisle" the Doctor agreed as they passed the kitchen. Back in the living room, Emma and Alec discussed their new guests. "Don't you find it strange that the Doctor claims to be Miss Noble's father? He and his wife don't seem to be much older than her" Alec pointed out. "Perhaps" Emma replied vaguely, "Are they really from the Ministry?" she asked doubtfully.

"Err, I don't know. The Doctor's certainly got the right demeanour. Capricious, brilliant"-

"Deceitful"

"Yes. Ha. He's a liar. But, you know, that's often the way that it is when someone's seen a thing or two. Experience makes liars of us all. We lie about who we are, about what we've done…"

"And how we feel?" Emma finished for him, and Alec nodded. "Yes. Always. Always that" he agreed. The two of them glanced at one another, and one didn't need to be empathic to sense the obvious 'romantic tension' between them. "You know, I have to, have to be getting on with things. The err, the equipment and so forth" Alec excused himself. "Of course" smiled Emma, but it quickly faded.

/

The others arrived in the music room, with a large harp in the corner. Emily brushed her fingers across the strings and smiled at the twinkling sound it made. "The cold spot is right here" explained Jenny, stepping on a patch of floor and breathing out. Her breath smoked in the air. "Ooh, spooky" said the Doctor, nudging her aside and stepping in the spot himself. "Cold, warm, cold, warm, cold, warm" he repeated as he stepped back and forth.

"Okay, we get the picture" the Corsair rolled his eyes as he scanned the room, having passed his torch to Flavia. The hum of his sonic began to stutter, and he bashed it against the palm of his hand. "Do any of you feel like you're being watched?" Clara asked nervously. "We're watching each other, does that count?" asked the Corsair, and she rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean" she told him.

"What does being watched feel like? Is it that funny tickly feeling on the back of your neck?" the Doctor inquired, and Romana answered "More or less"

"Okay, then yes, a bit; quite a big bit" he admitted, sidling over to Romana and Emily to protect them. "I think she's here" murmured Clara; she could feel some sort of…presence, she didn't know how to describe it. "What do we do?" asked Jenny. The Doctor took a piece of chalk from his pocket and drew a circle around the cold spot. "And that is going to do what exactly?" Flavia asked sceptically.

"It's just to mark the spot, it might be important later on"

"Fair enough, but I really doubt there's any correlation. The 'cold spot' could be caused by a localised climate anomaly"

"That's what you're going with?" the Corsair asked incredulously, and Flavia gave him a deadpan stare. "It's a more logical explanation than ghosts" she insisted. They decided to return to the others, and see if Emma could make contact with the 'ghost'. As they left the room, fog filled the chalk circle, and something swept past the door.


	15. Hide Pt 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who

Hide – Part Two

Clara jumped. "What was that?" she asked as a loud bang echoed through the house. "It's probably just a door slamming, it's drafty in here" Flavia reasoned; moments later, an actual draft blew out the candles on the candelabra the Doctor was holding. Emily was very glad the Corsair's torch still stayed on. The Doctor and Clara were at the back of the group; as they went down a short flight of stairs, the banging sounded again. "Okay, what is that?" Clara questioned, stopping at the top of the stairs.

"It's a very loud noise. It's a very loud, very angry noise" the Doctor replied, as the banging continued.

"What's making it?"

"I don't know; are you making it?" the Doctor inquired, but Clara just gave him a look. "Doctor…"

"Yes?"

"I may be a teeny, tiny bit terrified"

"Yes?"

"But I'm still a grown-up"

"Mainly, yes, and?"

"There's no need to actually hold my hand" Clara finished. The Doctor looked at her in alarm. "Clara…"

"Yes"

"I'm not holding your hand" he told her, showing her his free hands. A flash of lightning from the window outside illuminated a crouching figure right behind him. Clara screamed in fright and took off after the others, the Doctor right behind her. They all ended up in the front hall, where a rapidly spinning black cone had appeared floating in mid-air. "You're sure this hasn't happened before?" asked the Corsair, and Alec replied, "I'm certain".

"What is it?" asked Jenny, staring at the cone. "No idea, where's the camera?" the Doctor demanded, grabbing it off the table. He snapped a picture of the cone, and it seemed to…crack like glass, for lack of a better phrase. Emma had a sudden vision of an out of focus figure, running towards her in some woods. Romana noticed the woman staring at nothing and asked, "Emma, are you alright?"

"Help me!" cried a disembodied voice; overwhelmed by the emotions she could feel from the mysterious figure, Emma collapsed in Alec's arms. "Look!" exclaimed Emily, pointing at the wall, where the words 'Help Me' had been written in smoke. It faded away and the black cone disappeared, leaving no-one the wiser as to what had just happened.

Alec, the Corsair, Jenny and the Doctor all went to a study that Alec had converted into a dark room for developing photos. Jenny wanted to spend some time with this new version of her dad, just to get to know him better. Meanwhile, the Time Ladies, Emma and Clara returned to the living room; Emily didn't really want to be in a room that was _supposed _to be dark, even if she did like being around her new big sister. Jenny was just so brave, like her mummy and daddy…Emily hoped she'd be that brave someday.

There was a drink cabinet in the living room. Emma had a small glass of whisky to try and calm her nerves. "Urgh. I'd rather have a nice cup of tea" she pulled a face, and Clara's expression was one of agreement. "Me too. Whisky is the eleventh most disgusting thing ever invented" she announced.

/

Jenny examined the pictures of the figure, trying to figure out what she could be. As the Doctor came to stand beside her, she quietly asked "What happened to Donna, and Martha?"

"They lived. They're married, with kids, friends of Emily's…they'll be happy to see you" he smiled at her, his hearts swelling with joy. He couldn't wait to travel with her, teach her how to fly the TARDIS – then once Emily was old enough, they'd have six pilots again! "Yeah, I'd be happy to see them too" she agreed with a smile…but once the Doctor had moved away, her expression grew uncertain.

Over by the table where the film was being developed, the Doctor admitted to Alec, "I had a little peek at your records, back at the Ministry. You've certainly seen a thing or two in your time. Disrupting U-boat operations across the North Sea, sabotaging railway lines across Europe. 'Operation Gibbon'. The one with the carrier pigeons, brilliant. I do love a carrier pigeon" he mused, and the Corsair smirked in amusement.

Alec didn't seem quite as impressed. "I did my duty, but then so did thousands of others. Millions of others. I was just lucky enough to come back" he sighed, and the Time Lords shared a glance. "We know what you mean" the Corsair muttered, and Alec couldn't help but wonder how many secrets these strangers held.

"Yes, but how does that man, that war hero, end up here in a lonely old house, looking for ghosts?" the Doctor asked him, and he shrugged. "Because I killed, and I caused to have killed. I sent young men and women to their deaths, but here I am, still alive and it does tend to haunt you. Living, after so much of …the other thing" Alec explained. The Doctor and the Corsair _definitely _knew what he meant; even Jenny did, but she didn't want to interrupt. The Major was a nice man, but he was still technically her boss and she didn't want to seem rude.

/

Emma and Clara were bonding over gossip. "So, you and Professor Palmer, have you ever, you know?" she asked with interest, but Emma just smiled and shook her head. "No" she admitted, and this puzzled Clara immensely. "Why not? You do know how he feels about you, don't you? You, of all people?"

"I don't know. People like me, sometimes we get our signals mixed up. We think people are feeling the way we want them to feel, you know, when they are special to us, when really there's nothing there" Emma explained. Sometimes she thought maybe, just maybe…but there was no way of knowing if she was just projecting her own feelings onto him without asking him, and if she'd got it wrong, she'd be so humiliated… "Oh, this is there" Clara said knowingly.

"How do you know?"

"Because it's obvious - it sticks out like a big chin" Clara stated, and they all giggled. "Wait…what's obvious?" asked Emily, and the adults just laughed even more as the little girl pouted, wishing they'd just tell her.

/

"You see, I was alone and unmarried and I didn't mind dying" Alec explained to the other men, and Jenny, why he had joined the Ministry, "I mean, not for that cause. It was a very, very fine cause, defeating the enemy".

"And if you could contact them, what would you say?" asked the Doctor, and Alec replied honestly, "Well, I'd very much like to thank them". Jenny hung a developed photo up to dry, the image on it becoming clearer every moment. The four of them looked at the photos and wondered. "Who do you think she is?" inquired Alec.

"Not what I thought she'd be"

"What did you think she'd be?"

"Fun…can I borrow your camera? Ta, come on Jenny" the Doctor called, taking the Nikon before Alec could say anything and walking to the door. "He does this a lot, just roll with it" the Corsair advised, ushering Jenny after the Doctor. Alec hastened after them as they went into the corridor, demanding "What do you need it for? Where are you going?"

"Don't worry, Professor, my associates and I just need to collect some further data, you should stay here and keep an eye on things with Miss Grayling – look after her, you know?" he added pointedly. Alec blinked and then nodded. "Ah, yes, of course" he replied, and the Corsair tried not to roll his eyes. _Face it, Doctor; they're both as oblivious as you were with Romana. _

_I think you might be – hey! _

/

"What about you, is there someone special in your life?" Emma asked Clara, who went pink and replied "Nah, I'm not really looking for a boyfriend right now". Emma nodded in understanding and had another sip of wine, which was much nicer than the whisky. She glanced at Romana and hesitated, wondering if she should mention what she sensed from the other woman's husband… "Emma, is something wrong?" Romana inquired, noticing Emma looking at her oddly.

Emma went pink herself and explained, "Sorry, I just…no, it doesn't matter. It's not my place" she excused herself, but by now the Time Ladies curiosity was piqued. She placed Emily on Clara's lap and beckoned Emma over to a corner. "What's the matter? You can tell me" she said reassuringly. Emma took a deep breath and admitted, "The Doctor…I'm not sure I trust him. There's a sliver of ice in his heart" she whispered. Romana stared at her for a long moment and then sighed. "That's because it was broken" she replied calmly, walking away as the Doctor called her name.

They returned to the TARDIS, huddled under several umbrellas as the rain poured down. "I can't believe I can finally see inside your time machine, dad" Jenny said happily, and the Doctor grinned at her. "Just you wait, you'll love it" he assured her, opening the door and ushering everyone inside. Jenny walked in and her jaw dropped in amazement – she remembered Donna telling her it was bigger on the inside, but that wasn't the same as actually _seeing _it!

"Impressive, isn't it?" the Doctor asked her as he moved to the console. Jenny nodded, dumbstruck. "It doesn't stop here though, there's plenty more to see. Of course we don't have time right now but when you're travelling with us you'll have plenty of time" the Doctor rambled, not noticing Jenny's expression…she seemed half eager and half hesitant, her smile a tad too forced. "Yeah, that sounds great! So, where are we going?" she asked curiously.

"Actually, we're not going anywhere; we're staying right here on this spot" replied Romana. Clara, who had given her umbrella to Flavia to be put away, inquired "So, _when_ are we going?" The Corsair gave her an approving nod. "You're catching on, and we're going always" he replied. Clara and Jenny raised their eyebrows. "We're going…always?" Jenny repeated unsurely. "That's what I said" the Corsair confirmed, and Clara protested, "That's not actually a sentence".

The Doctor emerged from a lower level wearing a garish orange spacesuit. "Well, it's got a verb in it. What do you think?" he asked, gesturing to his attire. Clara and Jenny glanced at one another. "Colour's a bit boisterous" the human commented.

"I think it brings out my eyes"

"It makes our eyes water" quipped the Gallifreyan. The Doctor pointed a warning finger at her and said, "Oi, no smart talk, missy. Now, let's go take some photos!" he announced. They went back to the very beginning of Earth, to when it was still cooling. The Doctor went out, took a photograph and came back inside. "Back off, hot suit, hot, hot, hot" he warned them, his footprints sizzling on the cool metal floors. Jenny wondered, "How far back in time are we?"

"Ooh, ooh, I know! Six billion years ago, on a Tuesday" Emily answered confidently. Their next stop was a prehistoric jungle with giant dragonflies, and so on throughout history. Eventually, the Doctor donned his environment protection suit again. Romana noticed that Clara and Jenny both looked rather unsure, and asked "Clara, are you alright?"

Clara looked up at her and smiled. "Totally. Peachy keen" she replied casually, and Jenny nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine too. Just…a bit overwhelmed" she shrugged; Romana nodded in sympathy. They watched the Doctor on the scanner; the place was devastated, with only a bit of roof and chimney crumbling on the ground, the sky burning orange red and shimmers of heat rising everywhere. As the Doctor returned, Emily piped up "Clara, why're you crying?" she asked innocently. Clara quickly wiped her eyes and hastily replied "Nothing, it's just…did we just watch the whole life cycle of Earth, birth to death?"

The Time Lords glanced at one another. "Well, yeah" the Corsair shrugged. "And you're all okay with that?" Clara questioned.

"Yes"

"How can you be?"

"The TARDIS, she's – time, we…wibbley Vortex and so on" the Doctor rambled ineffectually, and Flavia rolled her eyes. "I think what the Doctor is _trying _to say is we perceive time differently to you humans…but I'm guessing that isn't really the problem, is it" she figured, and Clara nodded. "So, what is wrong, Clara?" Romana asked concernedly. Clara hesitated and fiddled with her coat, trying to figure out how to phrase it. "It's like, one minute you're in 1974 looking for ghosts, but all you have to do is open your eyes and talk to whoever's standing there…".

No, that wasn't right; she tried again. "To you guys, I haven't been born yet, and to you I've been dead one hundred billion years. Is my body out there somewhere, in the ground?" she asked, gesturing at the scanner. "Technically, by now it'll be dust and…I'm not helping" the Corsair realised, shutting his mouth. "Yet here we are, talking. So I am a ghost. To you, I'm a ghost. We're all ghosts to you. We must be nothing" Clara sighed.

"Oh, Clara, you're not a ghost to us" Romana hastened to assure her. "Then what am I?" Clara asked helplessly, "what can I possibly be?"

"You're my honorary sister, Emily's…and Jenny's, I suppose…honorary aunt. Surely that's enough" Romana pointed out; Clara sighed and answered, "Yeah, I suppose".

/

They went back to 'the present', and the Doctor handed Alec his roll of film to be developed. Emma sensed Clara's melancholy mood and gently asked her, "What's wrong?"

"I just saw something I wish I hadn't"

"What did you see?"

"That everything ends"

"No, not everything; not love, not always" Emma reminded her with a smile. The Doctor called them all into the living room to present his evidence. "Right, done. That's it. Gather round, gather round. Roll up, roll up" he beckoned, and they all crowded around the projector. The Doctor switched it on with his sonic, and images of the 'ghost' began to appear on a screen.

"The Ghast of Caliburn House. Never changing, trapped in a moment of fear and torment. But, what if she's not? What if she's just trapped somewhere time runs more slowly than it does here? What if a second to her was a hundred thousand years to us? And what if somebody has a magic box. A blue box, probably. What if said somebody could take a snapshot of her, say, every few million years?" the Doctor asked, only semi-rhetorically, and as he spoke the blurred image clarified into a dark skinned woman in a white suit, running.

"She's not a ghost. But she's definitely a lost soul. Her name is Hila Tacorian. She's a pioneer, a time traveller, or at least she will be in a few hundred years" the Doctor explained; Alec shook his head in disbelief. "Time travel's not possible. The paradoxes…" he tried to protest, but the Corsair cut him off saying "Resolve themselves, for the most part".

Emma looked sadly at the photo of Hila. "How long has she been alone?" she asked, and the Doctor explained, "Well, time travel's a funny old thing. I mean, from her perspective, she crash landed three minutes ago".

"Crash landed, where?"

"She's in a pocket universe. A distorted echo of our own. They happen sometimes but never last for long" the Doctor replied, as Romana and Emily blew up blue and red balloons. "This represents our universe" he continued, pointing at the blue balloon, "and Hila is in this pocket universe", he pointed at the red one, "You're a lantern, shining across the dimensions, guiding her home, back to the land of the living" he informed Emma. Then Jenny inquired, "What exactly is she running from?"

"We've no idea, but the next slide might show it…" the Corsair replied. On the next photo, Hila had almost run past the camera, but there was something crouching behind a tree in the background. "What is that?" Clara grimaced; whatever it was, it looked ugly. "I don't know. Still, not to worry" the Doctor said blithely. "So, what do we do?" asked Emma.

"Not we, you. You save Hila Tacorian because you are Emma Grayling. You are the lantern. The rest of us are just along for the ride, I'm afraid. We need some sturdy rope and a blue crystal from Metebelis Three. Plus some Kendal Mint Cake" the Doctor announced, walking out of the room, followed by Jenny, Emily and Clara. Alec pulled Emma aside and told her, "Don't do it".

"I'm sorry?"

"Nobody asked her to risk her life. This woman, she doesn't deserve - Whoever she is, however brilliant, however brave, she's not you. She is not worth risking a single hair on your head. Not to me" Alec insisted, and Emma felt her heart race at the emotions she sensed – or thought she sensed – from him. "Tell me what I'm thinking" she urged him, and he shook his head. "I can't, I don't have your gift"

"You don't need it. Just look at me and tell me" said Emma; so Alec looked her right in the eye and saw determination…they both knew saving Hila was the right thing to do. "There you are, you read my mind" she smiled at him.


	16. Hide Pt 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who and I never will

Hide – Part Three

As they helped the Doctor collect the supplies they needed, Clara inquired, "Can't you just, you know?" she shrugged vaguely. The Doctor stared at her. "What?"

"Fly the TARDIS into the parallel universe?"

"Ah, it's not a parallel universe. It's a pocket universe. Plus, it is collapsing. I mean, the TARDIS could get in there all right, but entropy would bleed her power sources, you see? Trap her there until the entire universe decayed back into the quantum foam. Which would take about three minutes, give or take, you know" the Doctor explained. They returned to the house and the music room, where the Time Lords set up a makeshift psychochronograph.

Clara looked curiously at a headset of some sort with a pretty blue crystal embedded in it, arranged on the back of a chair at head height. "What is that?" she asked Romana, who replied, "A subset of the Eye of Harmony".

"I don't understand"

"The Eye of Harmony is what powers the TARDIS, in simplest terms, and this is connected to it…it's hard to explain" Romana admitted with a shrug. The Doctor clapped his hands together and pointed at Emma. "Right, you, sit down" he instructed, placing the headset with the blue gem on her head, "All the way from Metebelis Three".

"What does it do?" Emma asked cautiously, and Romana elucidated, "It'll amplify your natural abilities rather like a psychic microphone".

"What exactly is this arrangement?" inquired Alec.

"A psychochronograph"

"Forgive me, but isn't it all a bit, well, make do and mend?" Alec asked as the Doctor pulled on a parachute harness. "Non-psychic technology won't work where I'm going. Listen, all I need to do is dive into another dimension, find the time traveller, help her escape the monster, get home before the entire dimension collapses and Bob's your uncle" he explained like it was no big deal.

"Will it hurt?" asked Emma; the Doctor's initial response was "No", but then Romana gave him a pointed look and he added, "Well, yes, probably, a bit...well, quite a lot. I don't know. It might be agony. To be perfectly honest, I'll be interested to find out" he confessed. Emma looked at Alec, who nodded supportively, and took a deep breath. "I'm talking to the lost soul that abides in this place. I'm speaking to Hila Tacorian" she said aloud.

The clocks arranged around the room began to spin backwards. Jenny helped her dad secure his harness to the rope, as the spinning black cone – now appearing to be a disc – reappeared. A strong wind could be felt blowing out of it. "See? The Witch of the Well! It's a wormhole! A reality well! A door to the echo universe. Ready?" he asked Emma. "Ready!" she called over the noise of the wind. _I'll be back soon, love _the Doctor promised Romana, before turning to the now large wormhole and jumping into it with a cry of "Geronimo!"

He hit the ground and took off the harness, running forward through the forest. It didn't take him long to emerge from it and he found himself on the edge of a cliff, falling away into nothingness. The Doctor turned and ran back into the woods, calling out, "Hila? Hila! Hila Tacorian!" As he ran, he could sense something nearby, something predatory, and he ran faster. "One, two, three," he counted, before spinning round to face whatever was chasing him. He didn't see anything, but he did hear Hila shouting "Help me! Help!"

Moments later she ran into view, staring at the Doctor in disbelief. "Hila Tacorian, I presume" he greeted.

"Who are you?"

"Collapsing universe. You and me, dead, two minutes. No time complete sentences. Abandon planet"

"Wait. There's something in the mist"

"Then run, run!"

They ran. The Doctor could dimly hear Emma's voice calling to them; "Doctor! Hila! Come home!" He led Hila back to where he thought he'd left the harness, only to find that he must have made a wrong turn somewhere. Why did woods have to look the same wherever you went? "Not that way, which means, err, probably…." He spun on his heel, trying to work out which way to go. "What's wrong?" Hila asked worriedly.

"You know that exit I mentioned?"

"No" she replied honestly – he'd never said anything about an exit. "I seem to have misplaced it" the Doctor admitted, but then he heard Emma's voice again. "This way" he beckoned, following the sound. Emma's voice led them to Caliburn House, or rather a projection of it. "Whoa" the Doctor announced, impressed. "What's that?" asked Hila.

"An echo house, in an echo universe. Clever psychic. That is just top-notch" the Doctor praised; they ran inside and locked the doors. The monster chasing them scratched at the wood. "It's looking for a way in" the Doctor realised. They hurried upstairs to the echo of the music room, and there was the wormhole with the rope and harness leading out of it. "Grab the rope. Give it three tugs, quick as you like" the Doctor urged Hila, who pulled on the harness. "What about you?" she asked, as he started to barricade the door. "I'll be next" he assured her.

Hila tugged on the rope three times and was pulled through the wormhole. The Doctor secured the door and the monster hammered on it, loud heavy knocks that reminded him of the banging they'd heard earlier. "Oh, that's what that noise was. Lovely" he smiled, pleased to have figured that little mystery out. He ran and jumped into the wormhole, only to land back in the woods, still trapped in the echo universe. "Oh dear" he said in somewhat of an understatement, "Oh dear, where are you?"

/

The moment the wormhole disappeared, Romana told Emily _Sweetheart, stay with your godparents, I'm going to get your dad back. _She hurried out of the room; Jenny and Clara noticed her leave and raced after her. "Where are they going?" demanded Alec as he tended to an exhausted Emma. "To find another way of getting the Doctor home" the Corsair replied. "Yeah, they're gonna get daddy back…aren't they?" Emily asked Flavia, who hugged the young Time Lady to her because the truth was…she didn't know.

"Romana, where are you going?" Jenny called after the Time Lady. "To fetch my husband, and you can call me 'mum' if you like" she replied. Jenny faltered, a bit taken aback by that, and Clara protested, "But the Doctor said you can't use the TARDIS in the pocket universe, that it would bleed the power sources or something"

"Well then I'll need all the help I can get"

"What about the Corsair, and Flavia? Wouldn't they be more help?"

"I need them to take care of Emily"

"But Ro- mum, I would have looked after her" Jenny admitted; Romana smiled gratefully at her as she opened the door of the TARDIS – or tried to, at least. "What is it? What's wrong?" asked Clara, as Romana tugged fruitlessly on the handle. "I don't know, she's never done this before" Romana admitted; then a hologram of Idris appeared behind them. Jenny noticed her and started. "Err, hello?" she said awkwardly, getting Romana and Clara's attention.

"Who's that?" asked Clara; Idris looked at her sharply and replied in a monotone voice, "I am the TARDIS voice visual interface. I am programmed to select the image of a person you hold in high esteem – of the several billion such images in my databanks, the following best meets this criterion"; she then flickered and transformed into a duplicate of Clara. The real Clara was not at all pleased with the implication that she was vain. "Oh, I knew it! You are a cow".

"Clara! You don't have to be rude, and TARDIS, I need to save the Doctor"

"The Doctor is in the pocket universe"

"I know, I know it's dangerous, but I _have _to go in. I can't abandon him"

"You would have to locate and rescue him in less than ten seconds"

"I know" Romana said firmly. The hologram disappeared, and Clara asked "Where did she go?"; but Romana didn't have time to answer that. She opened the door and urged the two younger women to get inside the TARDIS, before hurrying up to the console. "Clara, go to that side and hold down the turquoise lever, press the third button on the right of it every ten seconds, okay? Jenny, you stand there and crank that, err, crank. Oh, and both of you hold on tight" she instructed as she fired up the time machine.

/

The Doctor ran for his life through the echo universe, hoping something unexpected and very good would happen, as opposed to something very bad. "Doctor, we're here, come home!"

"Emma?"

He heard a snarl close by, and stopped in a clearing, looking around. "What do you want?" he asked the creature, "To frighten me, I suppose, eh? Because that's what you do. You hide. You're the bogeyman under the bed, seeking whom you may devour". Eerie laughter echoed through the forest. "You want me to be afraid. Then well done. I am the Doctor, and I am afraid" he admitted. The creature growled.

"So why am I still here, huh? Why not just eat me? Ha? Come on. Because you still need me" the Doctor worked out, spotting something peering at him from behind a tree, out of the corner of his eye. "Yeah, you need me to piggyback you across. To which I say, come on then, big boy, chase me" he challenged, running again. He didn't get very far before the creature caught up, and knocked him down – but then it got knocked right off him by the TARDIS! He scrambled to his feet, jumped and grabbed onto the sill.

The next thing he knew, he was in the music room of Caliburn House, still clinging to the side of the TARDIS. "Daddy!" cried Emily, pulling away from Flavia and running over to him. He pulled her into his arms and held her close, thanking every star in existence that he got home safely. Romana and Jenny emerged from the TARDIS, and joined in the hug immediately. It was morning, Clara noticed as she stepped out of the blue box. Time travel was weird like that, she supposed.

/

Emma approached Jenny, who smiled sheepishly and admitted, "I might have to resign as Mr Palmer's bodyguard". Emma chuckled softly and replied, "Then I wish you luck…but Jenny, you ought to tell them, how you really feel" she added, and Jenny sighed. "I know, it's just…they'll be so disappointed".

"They're your family. They'll understand" Emma told her encouragingly. "Emma!" the Doctor called, waving the psychic over. She excused herself and walked up to him. "You wanted a word?" she inquired.

"Well, if that's…" the Doctor said hesitantly, but Emma smiled and assured him, "That's fine. You didn't come here for the ghost, did you?"

"No"

"You came here for me"

"Yes"

"Why?"

"I needed to ask you something"

"Then ask"

"Clara"

"Yes?"

"What is she?"

"…She's a girl"

"Yes, but what kind of girl, specifically?"

"She's a perfectly ordinary girl. Very pretty, very clever, more scared than she lets on"

"And that's it, is it?"

"Why? Is that not enough?" asked Emma, not understanding what the issue was. The Doctor looked at Emma, and then at Clara, and then at Emma again. He nodded, but he didn't mean it; Clara was impossible, and if Emma Grayling couldn't see that he didn't know what to do next.

/

Emma hugged Hila and asked her, "Where will you go?" Hila smiled and shrugged. "They can't take me home" she explained, "history says I went missing".

"But they can change history" Emma pointed out; the Corsair replied "Sometimes we can, sometimes we can't. This time…we can't" he explained with a shrug, "sorry".

"It's okay. I'm just pleased to not be trapped anymore" Hila admitted. Alec stepped forward and cleared his throat. "Ahem. I'm sure Emma and I can help you find somewhere to go, I have a few, ah, connections who might be willing to help" he offered. Hila gave him a grateful smile, and then turned to Emma. "I knew you were there, I could feel you" she revealed. Emma nodded, and acknowledged, "I know".

"Have we…?"

"We can't have. You haven't even been born yet" Emma pointed out, and the Doctor stepped forward with a wide smile on his face. "No, you can't have met but she can be your great, great, great, great, great granddaughter. Yours too, of course" he said to Alec, "But you guessed that already, didn't you… Oh" he finally noticed Emma and Alec's shocked expressions, "Apparently not."

"The paradoxes…" Alec spluttered, but the Doctor just waved him off. "Resolve themselves, by and large. That's why the psychic link was so powerful. Blood calling to blood, out of time" he explained, putting an arm around Romana's shoulders. "It's like you said, Emma; love doesn't end" Clara reminded the psychic, who looked at Alec and smiled shyly. He gave her a hesitant smile back, before turning to the Doctor and asking, "But what about us? Emma and me?"

"What about you?"

"Well, what's supposed to happen? I mean, what do we do now?" he asked, gesturing between himself and Emma helplessly. The Doctor smiled, took hold of Romana's hand and held it up. "Hold hands. That's what you're meant to do. Keep doing that and don't let go. That's the secret" he winked at Alec, before pressing a kiss to the back of Romana's hand. She blushed slightly and straightened his bowtie for him.

Suddenly the Doctor remembered – something was holding Clara's hand, the monster in the pocket universe needed to be piggy-backed across… "Oh, I'm so slow!" he exclaimed, slapping himself in the forehead, "I am slow. I'm notorious for it. That's always been my problem. But, but I get there in the end. Oh yes" he said excitedly, walking back towards the house. "Dad?" Jenny asked in confusion. The Doctor turned to her and asked, "How do sharks make babies?"

Taken aback by the weird question, Jenny just stared at him. The Doctor turned to Clara and asked her the same thing. "Carefully?" she guessed, raising an eyebrow. The Doctor shook his head. "No, no, no. Happily!" he replied.

"Sharks don't actually smile. They're just, well; they've got lots and lots of teeth. They're quite eat-y" Clara reminded him. "Exactly, but birds do it, bees do it, even educated fleas do it. Every lonely monster needs a companion" the Doctor reasoned, pointing up at a window in the upper floor of the house. They could see something peering out. "There's two of them" Jenny realised with a smile.

"It's the oldest story in the universe, this one or any other. Boy and girl fall in love, get separated by events. War, politics, accidents in time. She's thrown out of the hex, or he's thrown into it. Since then they've been yearning for each other across time and space, across dimensions. This isn't a ghost story, it's a love story!" the Doctor cheered, giving Romana a kiss before running back to Emma, Alec and Hila. "Excuse me. Excuse me. Sorry to interrupt the rest of your life, so, tiny favour to ask" he said to Emma.

/

Once they'd got the monsters to a small uninhabited planetoid with forests, and made sure that Hila would be fine in the 1970's, Jenny realised that she still hadn't told her…her family the truth. She just didn't know how, but it seemed to be now or never. "Um, dad? There's err, something I need to"-

"Paris!" the Doctor announced flamboyantly, "Renaissance Italy, the Crystal Seas of Karralesh, planet Barcelona, the Medusa Cascade! We'll definitely have to go there first, get you bumped up to full Time Lady, and then we'll stop off to visit Donna and Martha. They'll be so pleased to see you! Oh, Jenny, you are going to _love _it aboard the TARDIS. We can go anywhere, any-when, you name it" he beamed at Jenny, pulling her into a tight embrace. "Ah, yeah, sounds brilliant" she smiled unsurely.

As usual the Doctor was oblivious, but Romana picked up on Jenny's uncomfortableness and gently asked her, "Jenny, dear, is something wrong?" Everyone looked at her, and Jenny took a deep breath. _Just say it, just tell them! _She commanded herself; she took a deep breath, stood up straight and revealed – "I can't come with you".

As expected, this statement was met with stares of disbelief. "What do you mean?" the Doctor asked, confused. Emily's face fell, and Jenny felt terrible. "I mean…I _want _to come with you, but I, I also want to…I just…I don't know what I want!" she said helplessly, covering her face with her hands. The Doctor glanced at Romana, and stepped towards his eldest daughter tentatively. "Jenny, if you don't want to travel with us, you don't"-

"But I _do, _and yet I don't at the same time. I'm so confused, I want to come with you, dad, but it feels like…like travelling with you would be…"

"Like moving back in with your parents after living on your own for five years?" the Corsair suggested, "cos that pretty much is what you'd be doing" he shrugged. Flavia frowned at him. "Corsair!" she scolded.

"What? She would be!"

The Doctor turned back to Jenny and realised, "You want to be independent". Jenny nodded, and then apologised. He pulled her into another hug, stroking her hair and telling her "No, no, don't be sorry. You are amazing, no matter what you decide to do" he assured her. Jenny smiled and confessed, "I still want to keep in touch though".

Romana stepped forward and smiled, "I think I know the perfect place for you to stay, Jenny". She whispered something in the Doctor's ear. _You want me to leave my daughter with _him_? _

_Do you have a better idea? _

_...No…alright, but he better not try anything. _The Doctor clapped his hands, spun on his heel and walked up to the console. "Jenny, how would you like to go somewhere you can defend the Earth from aliens, and keep in touch with us, Martha and Donna pretty much all the time?" he asked the young Gallifreyan, who smiled eagerly and asked, "Where's that?"

The Doctor pulled down the dematerialisation lever and informed her, "I'm letting you join Torchwood".

/

JENNY WILL COME BACK! I won't say which episodes she'll return in, but she will be coming back twice in the following chapters. I know you might have been hoping she would travel with the Quintet plus Clara, and I'm sorry if I disappointed anyone, but this is my decision. Trust me though, this is _not _the last you've seen of Jenny ;) Vworp on!


	17. Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS Pt 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who and I never will

Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS – Part One

A salvage ship made its way through deep space, with two of the three crewmembers asleep and the third cleaning mechanical parts. He had a barcode tattooed on his neck, and bionic eyes with which he could scan the objects he was cleaning for imperfections. The ship computer began to repeat, "Incoming salvage. Please validate. Incoming salvage. Please validate. Incoming salvage. Please validate". The young man ignored it, knowing there was nothing this far out worth getting excited about.

The taller of the two men in the bunks nearby got up with a groan and went to check out the salvage; the computer wouldn't shut up until he did. "Rusty garbage" he scoffed, "It's not worth lacing up my boots".

"Wasting our time, there's no salvage this far out" the younger man commented, and the elder replied "You're a lucky boy, Tricky. You're an android. You don't get bored". They both looked over at the third man still snoring in his bunk. "He won't turn back. Not with half a cargo" Tricky pointed out. The older man, Bram, said firmly "He's not captain, we're equal partners". As Bram headed back to his bunk, and Tricky went back to cleaning, the 'android' scoffed, "Yeah, right".

/

The TARDIS was unknowingly close by to the Van Baalen Bros craft, but its inhabitants – well, the Doctor was more concerned with what Clara had apparently called the TARDIS in their previous adventure, when he'd gotten briefly trapped in a pocket universe. "You said-" he began accusingly, following Clara around the console. "I know what I said!" she cried exasperatedly, "I was the one who said it".

"You also mentioned the TARDIS was 'looking at you funny' after we'd dropped Jenny off at Torchwood" the Corsair reminded her, and Clara glared at him. "Yes, thank you, Corsair" she said sarcastically, before turning to the Doctor and explaining, "Look, I was tired, overwrought. I didn't mean it. It's an appliance, it does a job", she patted the console lightly. The Doctor wasn't too happy about this either. "It's a pretty cool appliance. We're not talking cheese grater here" he said indignantly, stroking the console.

Clara spun around, looked him in the eye and told him, "You're not getting me to talk to your ship. That's properly bonkers". The TARDIS made a mechanical noise of dissent, and Emily asked with a genuinely curious expression, "I talk to the TARDIS sometimes, does that mean I'm bonkers?" Clara winced at that and tried to take back her words. "No, sweetie, you're not – what I mean is, I just feel…weird talking to a machine, that's all".

"The TARDIS is much more than a machine" Romana reminded her, "she's sentient". The Doctor nodded and pointed at her in agreement, before telling Clara "It's important to me you get along. I could leave you two alone together" he suggested with a smile, and Clara looked perturbed. "Now you're creeping me out" she admitted. By now though, the Doctor had gotten an even better idea in his opinion. He steered Clara over to the console and said "Take the wheel – not the wheel" he amended, "I'll make it easy. Shut it down to basic mode for you".

"Basic? Because I'm a girl?" Clara huffed indignantly. Flavia answered, "No, it's because you're a human who has no idea how to fly a time machine, and Doctor, are you sure this is a good idea?" she asked the bow tie wearing Time Lord, who waved her off saying "Oh, yeah, we can help her out". That wasn't really what Flavia was talking about, but she didn't get a chance to clarify before Emily eagerly questioned, "Ooh, can I help fly too? Can I? Please, please, please, please, please!" she begged. The Corsair chuckled and picked her up, saying "You can help me out, Emz, okay?"

/

Aboard the salvage ship, Bram and his brother Gregor were wide awake. "Everyone suit up. It's good salvage. I can smell it" Gregor said confidently, looking at the readings from their radar – which had picked up the TARDIS. "It's just trash" Bram said sceptically, but Tricky pointed at the TARDIS hidden within floating space debris that had also been picked up by the radar, and said "No, look. There's something tasty in the magno-field".

"Magno-grab ready. Engaging" their computer intoned, as the cargo bay doors opened wide like metal jaws. The three men dressed in overalls, heavy boots and gloves – Gregor slipped a small, grenade like device into his pocket. A beam shot out and grabbed the TARDIS, tugging it in towards the craft. Aboard the TARDIS itself, the console room shook and the power went out just as Clara moved a lever. She quickly pulled her hands away from the console and nervously asked, "What have I done?"

The Corsair set Emily down and began manipulating the controls, or trying to anyway. "The mechanical panel isn't responding" he announced; beside him, Romana exclaimed "Neither is the diagnostic panel; Emily, put your seat belt on darling" she insisted; the little girl hurried over to the seat and scrambled onto it, pulling a double strap seatbelt over her chest and clicking it into place.

"All the electrical impulses are jammed. I can't get the shields back up. She's completely vulnerable" the Doctor realised as he and his co-pilots struggled with the machine. "I swear I just touched it" Clara protested, backing away from the console. "It's not your fault Clara" Flavia informed her; if anything, it was the Doctor's fault for putting the time machine into basic mode, but now was not the time to point fingers. The Doctor managed to push up a lever and there was a loud bang and flash on the console.

"Oh, that is not good!" Romana exclaimed, "We're stuck in a magnetic hobble field. Clara, hang on tight to something" she advised her 'little sister', who quickly grabbed onto the back of the chair that Emily was strapped into. Emily herself was holding onto the edges of the seat, her eyes closed, and whispering "It's gonna be okay, it's gonna be okay, it's gonna be okay" over and over again. "Please tell me there's a button you can press to fix this!" Clara implored the Doctor.

"Oh, yes. Big friendly button!"

"You're lying"

"Yep"

"To stop me freaking out?"

"Is it working?"

"Not so much" Clara admitted. She spotted something rolling along the floor, and went to grab it, but the metal scorched her skin and she dropped it again with a gasp of pain. Without warning, she was thrown backwards in the wake of an explosion; the last thing she heard was Emily screaming before she was knocked out.

Emily clung to the chair and shut her eyes and mouth tight as the console room shook violently around her. When the horrible quaking finally stopped, she opened her eyes and gasped. "Daddy! Mummy!" she called, but there was no reply, "Corsair! Flavia! Aunt Clara!" Still, nothing; Emily wished she was better at telepathy; she was fifteen, she should have learned to do it properly by now! It was just…her parents or godparents were always with her, and when they weren't, she was scared and vulnerable just like any child.

She undid her seatbelt and slid off the chair, walking up to the console cautiously. She didn't really know how to work the console but she _did _know how to see outside, Flavia had taught her. When she saw a tall man approaching with a large hammer, she squeaked in fright. He was trying to break into the TARDIS! If she was damaged too much, the man might get in, and who knows what he might do if he found her? She had to hide, and find her family. Emily ran from the console room, down the stairs and through the corridor. The Cloister Bell was tolling loudly.

When she got to a crossroads, she paused for breath and put her fingers to her temples. _Hello? Is anyone there? _She asked, reaching out her mind as far as she could. _Mummy, daddy, anyone! It's me, Emily. Please answer, I'm scared! _she begged. For what felt like forever there was no reply, but then..._Emily? _She heard the Corsair's voice in her head, and sagged in relief. _Corsair! Where are you? _

_I'm not far, listen carefully – go right, just keep going right until you get to the fifth left turn. I'll meet you there, okay? _

_Okay, but hurry _

_I will _he promised, and then he was gone. Emily walked down the right hallway, sticking to the left hand wall. This seemed to be the side that was the least damaged, although she did have to walk around quite a few pieces of twisted metal. If the man with the hammer had broken the poor TARDIS, she thought he must be going to do something horrible if he got inside. Emily realised she hadn't told the Corsair about the hammer man, but she was too busy hurrying to meet up with him to try and re-establish contact.

There were several corridors branching off on all sides; a few of them were barred with flashing red lights, but as she approached the fifth corridor on the left, Emily saw a shadow stretch over the floor up ahead. "Corsair, is that you? Corsair!" she exclaimed, hurrying forward; only to skid to a stop and scream in fright as a strange biped with skin like cooling lava rounded the corner and reached out at her. She turned and ran for her life, hearing the monster chasing her – and then she heard a blast of energy and spun around to see the monster crumpling to the floor and the Corsair stepping over it.

Tears of relief spilled down Emily's cheeks as she ran up to him. "I'm so glad you're here…Corsair, what _is _that thing?" she asked nervously, staring at the humanoid lava-y creature. The Corsair looked it over, and realised what it must be… "I don't know", he lied, "but we should find your mum. Your dad is outside the TARDIS".

"But Corsair, there's a man with a huge hammer out there! He might hurt daddy"

"Now, come on. You know your dad can take care of himself. I, on the other hand, am in deep trouble if I don't get you to your mum safe and sound". _I also want to turn off that damned Bell._ He carried her down the corridor, and down the first corridor on the right – that was actually open, at least. "You don't have to carry me, I can keep up" Emily claimed; she didn't want to be treated like a baby, even if she had felt helpless just a little while ago. So the Corsair put her down and she did actually manage to keep up with his long strides, although he tried to slow down a little for her sake.

The first person they came across was not Romana or Flavia, or one of the burnt creatures (thank Rassilon), but Clara, running from a fireball. She closed off a bulkhead door, and jumped when Emily cried out "Aunt Clara!" Her expression quickly became one of relief as she saw them, and hurried over…but then her eye was caught by claw marks scratched across the wall, and she frowned.

/

Meanwhile, the Doctor and his new 'friends' (well, acquaintances) were about to go back into the TARDIS. He'd received a telepathic message from the Corsair that Emily had left the console room, so he knew his daughter was safe…but his wife was apparently unconscious, and trapped somewhere in a damaged time machine. If she was injured and had to regenerate...he had to find her and make sure she was safe, that they were both safe.

In the meantime, though, he had another question to ask. "Tell me, since when does an android need a blast suit and a respirator?" he inquired, and Bram explained "Flesh coating, same as us. He'd burn up".

"No fear, no hate, no pain" Tricky recited like a battle chant, pulling on his respirator. The Doctor walked over to the TARDIS, gave her an apologetic stroke, and unlocked the doors. "Salvage of a lifetime?" Gregor asked sceptically, reminding the Doctor of the risky ploy he'd used to try and stop the crew from throwing his TARDIS back out into space. "I feel pretty confident I can deliver on that" he answered, "Here we go".

The three brothers followed him into the TARDIS, which despite being on an angle was perfectly level within – at least the gravitational stabiliser was still functioning. "I don't get it. I thought she was lying on her side" Gregor said in confusion. "The TARDIS is special. She has her own gravity. I'd explain if I had some charts and a board pen" the Doctor replied as he made his way to the console.

"It's, it's, it's bigger…"

"On the inside. Do you know, I get that a lot"

"Whoa, awesome" Tricky said appreciatively, and the Doctor pointed at him, "Well put. Whoa and awesome" he agreed. He switched on the extractor fans and vented all the poisonous fumes from the console room, relieved that Emily had left it before the air became too toxic. "Safe to breathe" he assured the men, and they all removed their respirators. The Doctor pulled out the sonic and scanned for life signs, but the readings were scrambled. "Come on, Ro, love, where are you?" he murmured.

Whilst Tricky gazed around the console room in awe, his brothers gazes were greedier, more…assessing. "How big is this baby?" Bram wondered, and the Doctor told him, "Picture the biggest ship you've ever seen. Are you picturing it?"

"Yeah"

"Good. Now forget it, because this ship is infinite"

"It could take you hours to find your wife, and your friends" Gregor pointed out. "Days," the Doctor amended, "Plus this whole place is toxic. They could be dead by the time I reach them. So, here's the mission. We're going to find them all in one hour" he revealed, and the brothers stared at him in disbelief. "We?" repeated Gregor.

"You're my guys for this"

"That wasn't the deal"

"Tis now"

"What makes you think we'll help?" demanded Bram, so the Doctor showed them the scanner, which was showing a countdown clock. "I just activated the TARDIS self-destruct system. One hour until this ship blows" he explained calmly. Bram ran back to the door, trying to escape, but it slammed shut in his face. "Don't try to leave. The TARDIS is in lockdown. I'll open those doors when Romana is by my side and Emily is in my arms" the Doctor asserted.

"You crazy lunatic!" Bram shouted, but the Doctor remained unfazed. "My ship, my rules" he insisted firmly, and a tad impatiently. They were wasting time. "You'll kill us all. And the others" Gregor protested, and the Doctor rounded on him. "My wife could die if you don't help me. Don't get into a spaceship with a madman. Didn't anyone ever teach you that? Okay, a little gentle persuasion. Say thirty minutes" he suggested, flicking a switch; the countdown on screen jumped to 29:59:10.

"She'll die even quicker now!"

"We all perform better under pressure. Anybody want to go for fifteen minutes?"

"Whoa!"

"Whoa!"

"It's your own time you're wasting. Salvage of a lifetime. You meant the ship. I meant my family".

/

This Tuesday, the Oxfam shop I volunteer at had an anniversary party, and we all got certificates! Mine was for my 'Willingness to Learn and Listen', which is nice, and I got a medal _and _a trophy! I mean, they were both plastic and small, but still! I'm pretty proud about that, I wanted to share it with you guys. Just a reminder, there are pictures of Romana, Flavia, Emily and the Corsair on my DeviantArt page, there's a link you can copy-paste on my profile, and as extra incentive, I'm going to put in some extra facts about the characters I've come up with ;).


	18. Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS Pt 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who

Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS – Part Two

The Corsair led Clara and Emily through the TARDIS, heading for the general direction he felt Romana and Flavia were in, even though they both seemed to be unconscious so it was hard for him to get a proper fix. _Flop Hair, come in Flop Hair. _

_Oi, don't call me that. What is it?_

_Are you having any luck finding anyone?_

_No, but I've got help. I've got a team on the case._

_Would this 'team' happen to be the owners of the magno-grab that trashed the TARDIS in the first place?_

…_.Possibly_

_Blimey, first dropping the shields and then recruiting the people who broke your ship; you're really on a roll for bad decisions today, aren'tcha?_

_Shut up. Is Emily okay? _

_I think so. She's worried for you and Romana though _

_I'll talk to her. Let me know as soon as you find Romana or Flavia, won't you? _

_You know I will _

The Doctor faded out of the telepathic conversation with the Corsair, and reached out instead to Emily. He could manage it in a much more focused manner, since he knew the feel of her mind, had done since she was born. _Emily, sweetheart, it's me, your daddy _he told her gently, not wanting to startle her with his voice suddenly sounding in her head. _Daddy! Are you alright? Did the big hammer man get you? _

_No, don't you worry about me. Just stay with the Corsair and Clara, okay?_

_Okay, daddy…but what about mummy? She might be hurt! _

_If she was, I'd feel it. She's just unconscious, I'm sure she'll wake up soon, and when she does me or the Corsair can find her. It's going to be alright, Emily. Trust me. _

_I do. Just stay away from the man with the big hammer _Emily advised; the Doctor debated telling her he was with the salvage ship crew, but why alarm her any more than necessary? _I'll do that. I love you, my brave girl._

_I love you too daddy _

"Guys, guys, look, I think we should split up. It's our best chance of finding the others. You know it is" Gregor pointed out, drawing the Doctor out of his telepathic conversation. He hesitated; the Corsair was right, bringing the people who had damaged the TARDIS so badly on board wasn't his smartest move, but he'd been desperate. Letting them wander off alone, even he could see that was a truly bad idea. "No, well, yes…but the TARDIS is a maze, you'll only get lost yourselves" he replied to the brothers.

"It's fine, we've got radios, see? We can keep in contact" Bram revealed, holding one up. "Like I said, my ship, my rules" the Doctor retorted, "we're sticking together, now come on, quick march" he said decisively, spinning on his heel and striding away down the corridor. Tricky followed, but Gregor and Bram hung back. "There's no way I'm leaving this place without a spoil. Go back to the console, strip it apart" Gregor ordered Bram, who nodded and left, ignoring the ominous groan from the machine.

/

Meanwhile, Clara and the Corsair (carrying Emily) were running from another lava creature, this one with a claw like hand outstretched, frozen. The Corsair had tried to shoot at it, but once he realised from its size just who it was he couldn't bring himself to. They ran past the observatory, and the swimming pool, and finally into the library. Clara took one look at the six stories of books and bottles, and murmured, "Now that's just showing off".

On the plus side, Flavia had regained consciousness and she was _right there, _in the library. "Come on, you two, Flavia's in here" he told them, and Emily scrambled out of his arms to go in search of her. As they moved past the shelves, Clara was drawn to a podium with a large tome resting upon it. _The History of the Time War. _Curious, she opened it somewhere in the middle, but before she could try to read anything it was slammed shut by Flavia. "You shouldn't read things that don't belong to you, Clara" she scolded.

"Flavia!" Emily cheered, running over to give her a hug, "I'm so glad you're alright. We're looking for mummy, and there are monsters on the TARDIS!" she revealed, much to Flavia's alarm. _What does she mean, monsters? _She inquired of the Corsair, as Emily pulled Clara away to show her the Encyclopaedia Gallifreyica bottles. _How do I put this? The futures leaking and apparently we all get turned into mindless burnt zombies._

_**What?! **_

_Ow, not so loud. It might not happen, you know – time can be rewritten _the Corsair pointed out. Before Flavia could reply, they stiffened as they heard growling. One of the zombies was there with them. _Emily, you and Emily come over to us slowly _the Corsair warned his granddaughter; she took Clara's hand and pulled her back towards him and Flavia, but Clara's shoulder knocked over a bottle, leaving whispering words floating around. There was a thump and the Corsair cried "Run!"

/

Gregor had his scanner out, examining all the riches this machine had to offer. Even just one piece of equipment from this baby would set him up for the rest of his life…Bram and Tricky too, of course. "Everything" the handheld computer announced, making him pause in confusion. "What? Report" he ordered, and the computer clarified, "Everything, behind that door". Gregor eyed the door he was standing outside. "Everything?" he repeated dubiously.

"Sensor detects everything you could possibly want".

Now _that _was intriguing. He walked through the door to find a weird, metallic tree like structure, with loads of glowing bulbs hanging down from cables. "Everything" the computer repeated. "I don't understand. Give me a price tag" he instructed.

"Incalculable"

"What?"

"More valuable than the total sum of any currency. Living metal. Bespoke engineering. Whatever machine you require, this system will build it" the computer explained. Gregor's mind raced with the possibilities – just one of these glowing bulbs would be enough to create all the machines he could ever want. He hefted up a laser cutter to break one of them loose, when he was interrupted by the Doctor and Tricky. "No! No, no, stop! Please, don't. Don't touch it. Please. She won't let you touch it. Where's Bram? I told you to stay with us!"

"You promised us salvage, Doctor" Gregor retorted, as if that excused him ignoring the Doctor's instructions. "Yes, _after _we've found my family. We're wasting time" the Doctor said urgently. Gregor ignored him and took hold of one of the bulbs, ready to simply yank it off. "If you walk out of here with that circuit, the TARDIS will try to stop you" the Doctor warned him, but Gregor went ahead and pulled it off the cable anyway. The whole machine shuddered and roared – and Romana woke with a gasp.

Her whole body ached, but nothing appeared to be broken. _Doctor? _she reached out swiftly, and felt his mind wrap around hers. _Romana! Oh, thank goodness. I was afraid I'd never find you, where are you? _

_In the console room...no, the door's missing. An echo console room. _

_I'll find you, I promise. I just have a few issues to deal with. _

_Doctor, what was that shaking? _

…_One of the people I recruited to help find you just took a circuit from the ARS. _

_Why would they do that? _

The Doctor noticed that Gregor and Tricky were leaving. _I sort of told them they could have the TARDIS for salvage if they helped me find you _he admitted sheepishly, _Listen, I'll take care of these guys, you contact Flavia or the Corsair. They're with Emily and Clara, they're all safe; if all of you get together I can find you much more easily. _

_Okay _she agreed, and felt his presence in her mind fade. She turned her attention to seeking out the Corsair and Flavia, and it didn't take one of them long to pick up on her telepathy. _Romana, good to hear you; are you alright? _The Corsair inquired.

_Rather bruised, but apart from that I'm fine. I'm in an echo console room, but I'm not sure how I got here. _

_We're zeroing in on you. Now listen, the TARDIS is more damaged than we thought. The future is leaking and there are, well, time zombies lurking about. _

_Time zombies…of us?_

_Afraid so. I shot one I didn't recognise, it was attacking Emily, but I don't know if I killed it. We did get chased by zombie Flavia, but I think we ditched it…normal Flavia is still here, so are Clara and Emily. _

_Good, good...I'll keep an eye out. Once you get here, the Doctor can find us more easily. _

_Roger that – _there was a thud and jolt of pain – _I just walked into a wall. I have to go _the Corsair admitted, pulling out of the telepathic conversation. He opened his eyes to find Clara staring at him in confusion, and Emily looking at him inquisitively. Flavia could guess why he'd walked into a wall and actually seemed rather amused by it. He cleared his throat. "I meant to do that".

Clara raised a slender eyebrow. "Sure you did" she said disbelievingly. The Corsair ignored her. "Come on, Romana's awake. She's down this way" he beckoned them down a corridor, and Emily scrambled past him to run towards her mum. "Emily! Don't run off, you know better than that" Flavia scolded, and the little girl slowed down, looking apologetic. Her godfather led the way, and pulled back at the end when he spotted another time zombie lurking around the corner.

He motioned for the others to be quiet, and peeked at the zombie again. Judging from the build, and the outstretched arm with the gun like lump fused into its hand, this was zombie him. It was also between them and Romana, moving towards her, and they'd all be in trouble if he didn't do something right now. So he pulled out his blaster, took aim and shot zombie him in the head. It crumpled to the floor, dark, foul smelling liquid seeping from cracks in its lava like skin.

"It's safe, the creature's dead…I think…but you might want to hold your breath" he warned the others, before picking Emily up and carrying her over the zombies broken form. She wrinkled her nose and buried her face in his shirt, not wanting to look at it. Flavia and Clara grimaced as well. "What are these things? You and the Corsair never explained" Clara pointed out to the Time Lady, who hesitated and then replied, "Believe me Clara, you do not want to know".

They soon reached the echo console room, and Emily immediately ran to her mother, who cradled her close against her in relief. "But this is the console room" Clara said in confusion, and the Corsair corrected her, "No, it's an echo console room, created by the TARDIS to try and protect Romana, I suppose. She might have sent Flavia to the library somehow for the same reason" he explained. Clara put her hands on her hips, looking indignant. "Then how come I ended up under a bit of metal?" she demanded.

He shrugged. "Maybe she was too damaged to move you, or maybe she's still mad at the 'cow' comment you gave her the other day, who knows?" he suggested, and Clara shot the Time Rotor a glare, before feeling foolish that she was glaring at a machine.

/

The Doctor, Gregor and Tricky found themselves in another echo console room, but only the Doctor recognised it as such. "We're back where we started" Tricky commented, and the Doctor explained, "No, it's an echo. The console room is the safest place on the ship. It can replicate itself any number of times. It's trying to protect us".

"Because I tried to give back the circuit?" Tricky guessed, remembering how he'd pulled the circuit from Gregor's backpack. The Doctor nodded absently, going over the wrecked console to see if it was salvageable – no pun intended. He knocked a piece off and it fell to the floor, but disappeared before it hit. "Where did, where did that go?" asked Tricky.

"There's more than one echo room" replied the Doctor, just as Romana reached through their bond and asked, _Theta, a piece of the console just appeared out of nowhere, was that-?_

_Yes, that was me, are you all okay? Are you together?_

_Yes _

The Doctor grinned. "The others are in another echo room, overlaid with this one" he explained to Tricky and Gregor, although the latter didn't seem to be paying attention. "Why can't we see them?" Tricky inquired curiously. "It's like a light switch. Two positions, flickering at super-infinite speeds. We're only together for a brief second. Shush" the Doctor warned, holding up a hand. They could hear a high, childish voice, though the words were muffled and inaudible. "Emily" the Doctor murmured.

They heard gasps, and growling, and a scream. "They let it in, they let it in!" Tricky exclaimed, and the Doctor snapped, "I know! If I can just isolate their position, I can nudge the alternation, bring them all here". He hurried around the console room, working swiftly to merge the two console rooms together and get them out of danger.

/

Romana, Emily, the Corsair, Flavia and Clara all backed away from the malicious creature stalking towards them. "What is it?" Clara asked frantically, but none of the Time Lords could bring themselves to answer. Romana held Emily close against her chest and shut her eyes, not wanting to look at the horrible creature…because the strange lump on its chest could only be one thing, and it broke Romana's heart that if they didn't fix this problem, she and her baby girl's fate was currently trying to attack them, held at bay only by the threat of the Corsair's blaster.

She felt her skin tingle with the distinctive feel of a short range teleport, and heard the Doctor cry "Romana! Emily!" before his arms wrapped around them both. She gasped in relief and opened her eyes, turning and wrapping her own arm around the Doctor as the other held Emily. "You're okay, you're both okay" he breathed, resting his forehead against hers. Emily spotted Gregor and squeaked in alarm. "He's the one with the hammer!" she exclaimed, pointing accusingly at Gregor, who looked baffled. "What hammer?"

"The giant hammer you used to try and break into this place" Tricky reminded him, before giving the little girl an apologetic smile. "We're sorry that we frightened you" he said on behalf of himself and Gregor, "we didn't realise there were people on board" he explained. Emily bit her lip and smiled back hesitantly, accepting his apology.

The Doctor moved to hug Clara, but she slapped him hard on the arm. "Ow! Okay, so we're not doing hugging. I get that now" he said petulantly, rubbing his arm. "What do you keep in here?" she demanded incredulously, "Why have you got zombie creatures? Good guys do not have zombie creatures. Rule one basic storytelling".

"Not in front of the guests"

"Who are they?"

"Friends - well, people who aren't trying to kill us, so I don't need punching again"

Gregor interrupted their conversation to say, "All right, all right. Look, a deal's a deal. You got your crew and your family back. Now cancel the self-destruct" he told the Doctor, and the other Time Lords stared at him in bewilderment. "What self-destruct?" asked Flavia, mystified. The Doctor grinned smugly. "Ah. Ah. You know, I've got to tell you, I won't be needing you in my quiz team" he informed Gregor, who looked at him in bewilderment and asked, "What?"

"There is no self-destruct. Hey? Hey? Hey? Had you going though, boys, didn't I? I just wiggled a few buttons. Yeah, the old wiggly button trick. And the face. You've got to do the face", he put on a mock serious face and intoned, "Save them or we all die. I thought I rushed it a bit, but"-

"So you're telling us we're safe?" asked Tricky, and the Doctor hesitated. "…Ish" he admitted, "Apart from the monsters and the TARDIS reinventing the architecture every five minutes. Guys, don't worry. The countdown's a fake. Look, just give me a second. I'll turn it off. I only made it look as though the engine was actually exploding" he explained, moving to switch the timer off, but then a rather alarming message appeared on screen. '**Eye of Harmony - Engine Status: Overload**'.

"Ah. That's not good. Okay, don't panic. Nobody panic" the Doctor advised, and the Corsair deadpanned, "Don't tell us, the TARDIS is really exploding now".

"It appears the engine is damaged. We're in trouble, proper trouble. It needs fixing or we're toast" the Doctor revealed seriously. Clara swallowed. "So now would be a good time to use that big friendly button, right?" she suggested, trying to lighten the mood a bit. "Yes. Sorry, I should have had one built in" the Doctor agreed, leading them down to the lower levels of the console room. "Where are we going?" asked Tricky.

"Detour" the Doctor replied, sonicking open a hexagonal panel and peering down into it, "The centre of the TARDIS".


	19. Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS Pt 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who.

Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS – Part Three

The Doctor led the way through the tunnels in the depths of the TARDIS, scanning with his sonic as he went. He paused and warned the others, "Shh – something's in here".

"Those things, they've followed us" Tricky realised, and an increasingly nervous Clara turned to the Doctor and questioned, "Doctor, what are they? What aren't you guys telling me?" The Doctor looked at her seriously and said, "Trust us, some things you don't want to know". Before Clara could protest that she _did _want to know, that she didn't want to be left in the dark, something darted through the corridors behind them. "They're on the move again" warned Gregor, and the Doctor exclaimed, "Run! Move, move!" he urged.

As they ran, Clara dodged down another corridor, and Flavia decided at the last minute to follow her. "Clara, come back, we need to stay…what's wrong?" she asked Clara, who was wincing and looking at her hand. "Nothing, I just burned my hand on something. It's like…writing" she said, looking down at her palm. The red marks on it did look a bit like letters, but they were difficult to make out. Then she heard her own voice saying "I know what I said. I was the one who said it".

"You said it was looking at you funny" the Doctor said, and a confused Clara went towards the voices. Flavia reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. "It's just an echo, Clara, like the console room. The past is leaking, there must be a tear in the time space continuum somewhere in the ship" she explained. They hurried back up the corridor to find the others, but instead encountered the single bodied red eyed lava zombie. It stood frozen, staring at them. "What about this?" Clara muttered to Flavia.

"I think this is real. Run" Flavia advised, not that Clara needed telling twice. They came to a Y junction, and Flavia led Clara down the left hand corridor. They found the Doctor, Romana and Emily waiting for them around a corner. "Where've you been?" the Doctor demanded, but Flavia motioned for them to hurry on. "Never mind that, it's after us!" she hissed. Before they could move though, they heard an echo Romana say "The TARDIS is more than a machine, she's sentient".

A reply from echo Doctor followed. "It's important to me you get along…" They heard the creature approach, pause at the junction, and then its footsteps faded as it followed their echo selves instead. There was no sense in waiting around for another one to turn up though, so they swiftly made their way through the corridor. There was a sound like pipes banging, only a little more ominous. "What's that noise?" asked Clara.

"We're right under the primary fuel cells" explained the Doctor, and a still mystified Clara inquired, "So? So, so what?"

"So, so the fuel's spilled out, so the rods will be exposed. Means they'll cool"-

"And start to warp"

"And start to warp, maybe even"-

"No, don't you say it, don't you dare say it"

"Say what?" asked Emily, who was being carried by Romana. A metal rod shot between the walls between Romana and the Doctor, missing Romana's arm by a centimetre. Emily screamed in fright. "We should run now" the Doctor suggested, as Romana ducked under the rod. They ran for their lives, the rods narrowly missing them as they shot out of the walls at random angles. _Romana, promise me we'll never let the Doctor put the TARDIS on basic mode again! _Flavia said to Romana, who agreed at once.

Someone screamed in pain ahead of them. They found Tricky pinned against the wall by a rod through his shoulder, the Corsair was running back to them from where he'd been scouting ahead, and Gregor was staring at Tricky in shock. "Cut it off. Just cut my arm off" Tricky urged Gregor. "No" he refused, shaking his head. "I don't think now is the time to be doing amputations" the Corsair retorted, before telling Gregor, "Don't just stand there, cut the metal".

Gregor hastily lifted the laser cutter as Tricky objected, "My arm's gonna be useless anyway, you might as well take it off. Disposable parts, I can get a new one" he said as if it were no big deal. "You _can't_ just get a new one" Flavia insisted, looking him right in the eye, "You really don't know, do you?" she realised. Tricky was already frowning from the pain, but now he frowned in confusion as well. "Know what?"

"Tell him, Gregor" the Doctor said solemnly, and when the other man didn't answer, he added "You can't, can you? You're a coward" he goaded, and Gregor glared fiercely at him. "What don't I know?!" Tricky demanded again.

"Robots don't need blast suits. They don't need respirators. They don't _bleed_, Tricky" the Doctor told him, and Tricky looked down at the wound in his shoulder. The metal was stained red. "I thought…I thought that was fuel…oh my God" he gasped. He'd been bleeding profusely this entire time and he hadn't even noticed! "Two bionic eyes and a synthetic voice box. But you, my friend, are human. Flesh and blood"

The Corsair and Gregor had managed to separate the two pieces of the rod, and the Corsair helped Tricky ease out from between the metal and the wall. They couldn't pull out the piece of metal still in his shoulder, since it was the only thing stopping him from bleeding to death. "Why would you tell him he wasn't human?" Romana asked Gregor in disbelief, and with a little bit of anger as well. What sort of person did that to another?

"It was just a stupid joke. We did it to relieve the boredom" Gregor explained, sounding rightfully ashamed of himself. "Well, it was very funny" the Doctor snapped sarcastically, "They lied to you. Changed your identity just to provide some in-flight entertainment" he told Tricky, who was clutching his shoulder and breathing hard through his mouth. "We're wasting time, let's get going" the Corsair insisted, and they all moved on.

/

When they reached the Eye of Harmony, the Doctor announced "Right, you lot, wait here. I'll check it's safe. We can only survive for a minute or two in there" he warned – well, warned the humans at least. "Err, what happens if we stay longer?" Clara asked nervously. "Our cells with liquefy and our skin will start to burn" the Doctor replied bluntly.

"I always feel so good after we've spoken"

"Marvellous. Keep this door shut"

"That will not be a problem"

The Doctor gave Romana a quick kiss and slipped through the door. Gregor scanned Flavia with his handheld computer. "Unidentified humanoid species – primary alteration: binary vascular system" it announced. Gregor noticed Clara looking curiously at it and explained, "Intelligent sensor. You have two hearts?" he asked Flavia, who nodded. "Maybe she can lend you one, Gregor" Tricky scoffed, as the Corsair administered some makeshift first aid on his wound, "What sort of person does this to another human? Made them believe they're made of metal. Who am I?" he demanded.

Gregor stalked over and ripped a patch off of Tricky's suit, revealing a label like the one on his own, _Van Baalen Bros._ "My mouthy little kid brother" he said bluntly, and Tricky questioned, "Why, why don't I remember?"

"It was a salvage accident. There was a big explosion. You lost your sight, voice and your memory...they had to burn out your pain receptors just so you wouldn't be in agony all the time".

"So euthanasia wasn't an option? Because I think I'd rather have died than end up like this"

"I didn't want you to!" Gregor snarled at him, "That explosion had already killed dad! I kept you alive, you ungrateful little brat. All the times you could have hurt yourself thinking you were some invincible robot, I held you back!"

"I would never _be _in those situations if you didn't lie to me for years just to entertain yourself with a ******* joke!" Tricky shouted furiously; but the Corsair's voice rang above them all, fierce and commanding. "_Shut Up!" _he growled, turning to Tricky. "Look, I completely relate to your desire to beat your brother to a pulp, but he's still your brother and besides you're injured. He's a despicable person, I have no arguments with that, but he has one shred of decency in him. Remember that".

The Corsair then snapped his gaze over to the Doctor and demanded, "Well?" The Doctor jumped, and fumbled with his hands a moment before saying "Y-yeah, the coast is clear. Come on, quickly" he urged, going back to the door followed by Clara and Romana with Emily. They ran through onto a catwalk with a star, an actual star suspended above their heads. Clara slowed down to stare and the Corsair snapped at her, "Yes, it's a star, now move!"

"The Eye of Harmony. Exploding star in the act of becoming a"- the Doctor didn't get to explain before Flavia interrupted, "Doctor we don't have _time _for that!", a hysterical note to her voice that happened when she was extremely scared, frustrated and wished it would all just disappear. The Doctor winced, grabbed Clara's hand and hurried on, but one of the creatures appeared at the door they needed to get through – and just to make matters worse, two more creatures were hammering on the door behind them.

"There's no way out. We're trapped!" exclaimed Gregor, and Emily began to cry. "We're not trapped. Corsair, give me your gun" the Doctor ordered, holding his hand out. The Corsair swiftly handed his weapon over and the Doctor pulled out his sonic with one hand, aiming it at the door. "You're letting it in?!" Clara cried in alarm. "I'm getting rid of it" he retorted, opening the door. The creature lunged at them but at point blank range, there was no way the Doctor could miss.

Just then, the other creature managed to get an arm around the door and Gregor's computer revealed "Non-terrestrial DNA. Scanning for match…match found. Flavia". Clara's mouth dropped open in horror. "That's…those things are us. We die in here" she realised. Emily whimpered and buried her face in Romana's shoulder – the Corsair suddenly remembered the creature that had attacked them in the echo console room. "Romana, put Emily down _now_, don't touch her!" he instructed.

The Doctor caught on immediately. "Yes! If we interrupt the timeline – Gregor, Tricky, don't touch each other!" he called to where the two men were struggling to hold the other door closed. Romana really didn't want to put Emily down, not when her poor little girl was so terrified, but the Doctor was right – they had to interrupt the timeline somehow and get out of there. She put Emily down on the other side of the first creature's body, and told her "Run darling, just run".

Emily, tears streaming down her face, heeded her mum's advice and ran away as fast as she could. "You guys get going! We'll hold it off" Tricky urged them, sweat pouring down his face from the heat and the exertion of keeping the door shut with one arm. "We can all get out, just"- the Corsair began, but Gregor snapped "Just go already!"

So they turned and ran for it, hurrying through the corridors until they came to an archway, and ran out onto a rocky cliff. "Emily!" Romana cried out, her hearts hammering – they nearly burst with relief when her daughter scrambled out from behind a boulder. "Mummy! You're okay, I, I thought the monsters had gotten you!" she cried, as both her parents scooped her into a tight hug and told her they were so, so sorry.

"We're outside" said Clara, but Flavia corrected, "We're still in the TARDIS, it's an illusion".

"There's no way across".

"Thank you for stating the obvious" the Corsair said sarcastically; Clara ignored him. "So what do we do? Time for a plan. Do you have a plan?" she asked, but the Corsair and Flavia both shook their heads. "Well, no. No plan. Sorry" the Doctor admitted. Clara stared at them all in disbelief. "If none of you have a plan, we're dead".

"Yes, we are" the Doctor agreed, "so just tell us".

"Tell you what?" asked Clara, bewildered. Her confusion only grew when Flavia replied, "What are you?"

"What kind of question is that? I'm a human"

"A human that we've met twice before" the Corsair told her, and she shook her head. "No, that's impossible. I'd remember".

"You're not just a human, Clara, you're impossible" the Doctor said, sounding frustrated, "I look at you every single day and I don't understand a thing about you. Why do we keep running into you?"

"You guys invited me, you said"-

"Before that! We met you in the Dalek Asylum. There was a girl in a shipwreck and she died saving our lives, and she was you"

"She really wasn't"

"Victorian London. There was a governess who was really a barmaid, and we fought the Great Intelligence together. She died and it was my fault, and she was _you_"

"You're scaring me" Clara declared, backing away from the Doctor towards the edge of the cliff. "Clara, be careful!" Romana cautioned quickly, "Doctor, stop this, it's doing nothing" she scolded her husband, who looked at her and pointed at Clara, insisting "But if she's a trick, or a trap, I have to know!"

Clara shook her head. "I'm not either of those things. Doctor, I don't know what you're talking about!" she insisted. He looked from her to Romana, and back to her again. He sighed, and reached out a hand towards her. She took it hesitantly and he pulled her into a hug. "You really don't, do you? You're just Clara" he realised, before apologetically saying "Sorry I scared you".

"I think I was more scared of you than anything else on that TARDIS…but this hug is really nice".

"Okay, so now that we've established Clara knows nothing about the other versions of her, can we get back to saving our skins?" the Corsair questioned a tad impatiently. The Doctor pulled away from Clara and announced, "Yes, we can! Because this isn't real, it's a snarl"

"No, it's a cliff" piped up Emily, and Clara couldn't help but smile. The Doctor smiled as well and tweaked her nose. "No, sweetheart, I mean how when an animal is hurt it tries to scare other animals away – the TARDIS is snarling at us, trying to frighten us off. We need to jump" he said determinedly, and the smile quickly vanished from Clara's face. "You're insane" she stated.

"You're just figuring that out now?" the Corsair quipped; the Doctor stuck his tongue out at the other man before turning back to Clara. "We'll cross a portal to the engine" he assured her, but she wasn't convinced. "How can you be so sure?"

"I can't"

It seemed she had good reasons to not be convinced. "Well, that's watertight, then"

"Hey now, Clara, I have piloted this ship for over nine hundred years. Trust me this one time, please" the Doctor pleaded, and Clara, against her better judgment, nodded in agreement. "Okay. Okay. As well as all the other times" the Doctor added, walking up to the cliff edge. Romana came to stand on his left, holding Emily, whilst the Corsair and Flavia stepped up to Clara's right. "Ready? Geronimo" said the Doctor. They jumped.

/

…And landed just a few feet down, in a white space. Pieces of metallic wreckage were suspended all around them, frozen in time. Clara didn't really know what was going on, but judging from the solemn expressions on the Time Lords faces, it was not good. "The Heart of the TARDIS" the Doctor murmured sadly, "The engine, it's already exploded. It must have been the collision with the salvage ship".

"We're not dead" Clara pointed out, trying to focus on the positives. "The TARDIS managed to freeze the explosion in time, but it's just temporary" Romana explained sadly. They'd come all this way, to know it had done no good… "Eventually this whole place will erupt" the Doctor agreed, looking around and feeling more helpless than he ever had in his life. "There's no way I can save her now. She's just… always been there for me, and taken care of me, and now it's my turn and I don't know what to do. I think it just"- his voice broke and he trailed off.

The Doctor looked so heartbroken, even from behind, that Clara couldn't help but take his hand to try and comfort him. He smiled gratefully at her, but then he realised her hand wasn't smooth and looked at it, thinking she'd been hurt. "Oh, Clara" he gasped, eyes widening. Clara looked down at her palm and saw 'Big Friendly Button' burnt into it. "You are beautiful, beautiful fragile human skin. Like parchment", the Doctor kissed her palm, "Thank you. The rift in time, all the memories leaking out - I need to find the moment we crashed. I need to find the music".

They followed the trail of the wreckage back to the remains of the TARDIS console room – the underside of it, at least. "Wait here" the Doctor told the others, moving around to the other side, but Clara followed him. "What are you going to do?" she asked him, as he stood in front of a glowing, vertical crack. "Rewrite today, I hope" he replied, taking Gregor's magno-grab remote out of his pocket and using the sonic to etch the words 'Big Friendly Button' onto it.

"I've thrown this through the rift before. I need to make sure this time; going to take it in there myself. There might be a certain amount of yelling" he warned Clara, who asked "It's going to hurt?" as if that wasn't already obvious. "Things that end your life often do that" the Doctor answered dryly; it was the reason he hadn't wanted Emily in particular to come back here, it was bad enough she'd remember all the frightening things she'd seen today. He made to enter the time rift, but Clara called out "Wait! All those things you said. How we've met before, how I died"-

"Clara, don't worry. You'll forget. Time mends us. It can mend anything" the Doctor assured her. Clara opened her mouth, closed it, and then opened it again. The Doctor raised an eyebrow; he was about to ask her why she was doing an impression of a fish when she blurted out "I'm sorry. For calling your TARDIS a cow, I mean. I feel like all this is sort of my fault".

"No, no, Clara. Today was entirely my fault; I'm the one who left the TARDIS vulnerable".

"But you only did that because of what I said".

"Regardless, I got us into this mess, and now I'm getting us out of it. Wish me luck".

"Good luck".

The Doctor winked at her, and then shoved his way into the rift. It was like trying to squeeze through barbed wire, that had been set alight…okay, maybe that was an overstatement but it was really painful, as evidenced by his screaming. He finally managed to push through, and saw his past-self clinging to the railing. "Doctor, Doctor!" he called, and his past-self stared at him in surprise. "I'm from your future. We haven't got long to reset time" he warned, tossing the grenade like remote up to the main floor of the console.

Past Corsair saw the grenade as well, lunged for it, and ignored the burning hot feel as he turned it over and read 'Big Friendly Button'. "Ha!" he cried triumphantly, slamming his hand on the button.

Everything went white.

/

Clara came into the console room, rubbing her damp hair down with a towel. "I feel exhausted. I feel…" she paused, not sure how to word it. "Like you've just lived two days in one?" asked the Corsair, making Clara look at him oddly. "Why would you say that?" she asked. The Corsair shrugged. "Do you feel safe?" the Doctor asked out of the blue. "Of course" Clara replied honestly.

"Give me a number out of ten. Ten being whoo hoo, one being argh".

"You're being weird".

"We just want to know you're not afraid, Clara" Romana told her, and Clara raised an eyebrow. "Of?" she inquired, and the Doctor replied, "The future. Running away with a spaceman in a box and his family. Anything could happen to you" he pointed out. Clara smirked. "That's what I'm counting on" she answered, going off to find her room and hopefully a hairdryer.

Later that day, the Doctor tucked Emily into bed. She thought she was too old for bedtime, but today had been very tiring, even if it hadn't really happened. "Do _you _feel safe?" he asked her, sitting on the edge of her bed. "I always feel safe with you and mummy" she nodded. No matter how scary things were, they were always there to take care of her. "I'm sorry that today was so frightening" the Doctor sighed, and Emily scrambled halfway out of her covers to give him a hug. "It's okay, daddy. It's not scary now, and that's what matters, right?"

The Doctor smiled and kissed the top of her head. "That's right. Goodnight, sweetheart" he said, giving her another kiss on the forehead as she wriggled back down under the covers. "Goodnight, daddy" she yawned. The Doctor paused at the door to turn the lights from Sun Mode to Moon Mode, and closed the door softly behind him.

/

I had my first driving lesson today. It went well, and I'm pleased. This chapter is really long, and I'm just making it longer by typing this. Oh well!


	20. The Crimson Horror Pt 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who

The Crimson Horror – Part One

"Okay, you know the plan?" the Corsair asked Flavia, who nodded with confidence she didn't really feel. "Yes, I keep a look out whilst you look for the Doctor or Romana". The Corsair gave her a thumb up and headed down a short corridor, leading to a door with a window through which an ominous red glow could be seen. Flavia stayed where she was, keeping an eye out for any unwanted company. She looked behind her and couldn't help gasp in shock to see six neatly dressed young women, not a hair out of place, dressed in black.

_Corsair, we've got company _she warned him. An elderly woman, Mrs Gillyflower, stepped forward and informed Flavia, "We're here about your husband, my dear", in a faux-sympathetic voice. Flavia frowned, partly in suspicion and partly in plain bewilderment. "I'm not mar"- she began to reply, backing away as the women advanced, but then she heard a yell from behind her and turned her gaze from her would be assailants, mentally calling out _Corsair?! What is- agh! _She cried out as someone grabbed her from behind and jabbed a hypodermic needle into her neck.

As Flavia lost consciousness, Gillyflower dispassionately ordered her and the Corsair to be 'preserved' as she ominously put it. The Time Lords were dragged away, and Gillyflower was not aware that her daughter Ada had heard every word. Ada hurried as fast as she could in her blind state to a locked room at the top of a small flight of stairs. She listened at the door and heard thumping, and the rattling of chains. She smiled. Her monster was still there, he hadn't been stolen from her. She just had to keep him hidden until her mother's Great Plan came to fruition, and they could go into the new Eden together.

/

Miles away, far in the future, the Torchwood Three team were resting in their base after a particularly harrowing excursion involving a crashed Draconian, of all things, and Weevils running amok. After all the hell of the 456 and Miracle Day, Jack had pulled together a brand new team – former CIA agent Rex Matheson (field agent), Stephanie Grey (medic), Karen Norton (technological expert), Francis Muller (weapons expert) and Jenny Noble, the Doctor's daughter (mediator).

Jack had welcomed Jenny into Torchwood with open arms; the others had been more sceptical, especially Matheson. To him, Jenny was just a teenager; but she soon proved her worth when she saved Stephanie's life on their first mission together. Her role in Torchwood involved trying to mediate between the team and any aliens they captured, convincing them to leave Earth in peace and explaining the necessity of arresting them for 'public safety'.

She didn't want to sit around doing nothing, so when she heard the unmistakable whooshing sound of a materialising TARDIS, she jumped to her feet with a wide grin on her face. "What the hell is that noise?" Matheson demanded, as Jack scrambled to his feet as well. "It's my folks" Jenny replied, watching as the blue police box wheezed into solidity before their very eyes. She hurried forward, expecting her dad to step out – but instead Emily emerged from the time machine and ran up to her, eyes filled with tears.

"Jenny! Uncle Jack! You gotta help me!" she cried in distress, wrapping her arms around Jenny's waist and sobbing into her shirt. "What- Emily, what's happened? Where are mum and dad?" Jenny asked in concern; Jack peered into the TARDIS and announced, "There's no sign of them, or the Corsair or Flavia, or Clara". Emily hurriedly tried to explain, words spilling out of her mouth. "They're trapped, they're stuck – we were in Yorkshire – a factory – men came after us, daddy told me to press the button on my bracelet and I did and I came here and you've gotta help me!"

"Okay, okay, calm down. I think you need to start from the beginning" Jenny encouraged her. Emily wiped her eyes, took a deep breath and began to explain what had happened. "Um, it all started when we landed in a little Yorkshire village…"

/

The Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS, sniffed the air, and announced, "Okay, so… Not London 1893, Yorkshire 1893. Near enough" he shrugged as Emily and Romana stepped out of the TARDIS. They were followed by Clara, who commented "You're making a habit of this, getting us lost".

"Sorry. It's much better than it used to be. I once spent a hell of a long time trying to get a gobby Australian to Heathrow Airport" he replied, making Clara look at him oddly. "What for?" she asked, and he shrugged. "Search me. Anyway"- he started to change the subject, but then a scream erupted from up ahead, and he grabbed Romana's hand to run forward. "Come on Clara!" Emily called over her shoulder, running after them.

The motley crew found themselves at a canal, the edge of which was crowded with pointing people. The thing they were pointing at was a body, skin bright red. "It's another one" one man insisted, "Don't you see? Another victim. Why won't any one of you listen?" he asked desperately. The Doctor looked at the others, silently asking if they wanted to get involved – but since they all knew they'd end up getting involved anyway, they nodded. "We'll listen" he told the distressed man, who stared at him in surprise before thanking them and leading them away from the crowd.

He introduced himself as Edmund Thursday, prompting Emily to innocently ask if there were lots of people around there with weekday surnames. Edmund hadn't been affronted or anything, he'd just laughed and told her he'd not met another person in the village with a surname like his own, but he rather liked being unique. Edmund led them to the gates of a large factory, which apparently wasn't working as there was no smoke coming from the chimneys. He explained it was a match factory run by an elderly, rather mysterious woman.

"Mrs Winifred Gillyflower; an astonishing woman, prize winning chemist and mechanical engineer. So why…"

"Why has she decided to open up a match factory in her old home town?" the Doctor finished for him. Edmund nodded, and disclosed some rather troubling information. "And no one who ever goes to live there ever seems to come out again" he revealed. They went to the morgue, to examine the body retrieved from the canal. Their guide was reluctant to have Emily come in with them, but she insisted that she'd seen much scarier things than dead bodies, which was technically true. The victim was a woman. "Same as the rest" sighed Edmund, "All dead from causes unknown and their flesh glowing".

"Like something manky in a coal cellar. They keep turning up in t'canal. The Crimson Horror" the undertaker, Amos, said creepily. "Ooh, good name. Hey, that's good, isn't it?" the Doctor asked Romana and Clara with a grin, "The Crimson Horror. I wonder what it is. Do you know the old Romany superstition, Clara? That the eye of a dead person retains an image of the last thing it sees. Nonsense, of course, unless the chemical composition of the body has been massively corrupted" he explained, handing her a magnifying glass.

She looked through it at the dead woman's eye, and saw an image of an older woman sort of printed on the iris. The Doctor touched the body's red skin – wearing gloves, thankfully – and the redness rubbed off it. "So it's not the skin that's been altered – she'd been coated in something" Romana realised, looking over his shoulder. "Mm, only question is, what is the coating? Edmund, Amos, is there a lab anywhere we could use?"

Amos let him use the chemistry lab set aside for autopsies. "Wow, this is nasty" the Doctor announced bluntly, "An organic poison. A sort of venom. And you think it's connected to Sweetville?" he asked Edmund, who nodded decisively and said, "I do".

"Well then, we need a plan".

The plan went through many alterations before they finally decided that the Doctor, Romana and Clara would pose as 'pilgrims' wanting to enter Sweetville and confront Mrs Gillyflower, whilst the Corsair, Flavia and Emily stayed with Edmund. When the three of them didn't return by nightfall, the Corsair and Flavia set out to investigate and possibly rescue Emily's parents. They gave her strict instructions that if _they _didn't come back by morning, she was to return to the TARDIS and activate Emergency Setting Number 2A.

/

"...And then they didn't come back, and I was worried, so I asked Mr Thursday to take me back to the alleyway we landed in. I went into the TARDIS but he followed me, and he was really shocked, and then I told him it was a time machine and he sort of, um, fainted" Emily finished her explanation sheepishly. She took Jenny by the hand and pulled her into the TARDIS, leading her around the console to where a man in Victorian wear was lying unconscious. "I thought all the shaking about would wake him up" she mused.

Jack had followed them into the TARDIS, along with the rest of his team. "Uncle Jack! You know my daddy doesn't like people coming into the TARDIS uninvited" Emily pouted at the immortal man, as Jenny woke up Edmund Thursday. "Ugh…where am I?" he asked dazedly, sitting up and rubbing his head. The Torchwood team glanced at one another, and then back at Edmund, who was staring at them all in bewilderment. "You're dreaming" Jenny told him, "you fainted and now you're dreaming".

"No, but…I fainted because the child claimed that this…impossible contraption was a time machine" Edmund protested, struggling to his feet with Jenny's help. "I didn't mean to make you faint, Mr Thursday" Emily said contritely, "and don't worry, I can get you back home in no time" she assured him, before turning back to Jenny. "Will you help me?" she asked. Jenny smiled and hugged her little sister. "Of course I will, Emily. Permission to go on a rescue mission?" she asked Jack. He saluted her, only half-jokingly, and replied "Permission granted".

Jack then turned to usher his stunned team out of the TARDIS, and Emily headed for a stool lying on its side by the console. "Do you know how to fly the TARDIS?" asked Jenny, as Emily put the stool upright and then stood on top of it. "Um, sort of…no…but it's okay!" she said hastily, "I can send the TARDIS back to where it was easy peasy! Hold on!" She pulled down a lever and the TARDIS shook as it dematerialised.

Once it had returned to the Yorkshire village, Edmund stumbled out of the TARDIS. "Never again" he murmured, wiping his forehead with a handkerchief. For someone who was investigating a mysterious poison and factory, he wasn't very good at dealing with unusual occurrences. "Come on, Jenny, Sweetville is this way" Emily beckoned, turning to run down the alley. "Hold on!" Jenny exclaimed, bringing Emily to a premature stop. "I know you're worried, Emily, but we can't just barge in there and hope for the best. We need to come up with a plan" she pointed out.

"Oh, right. So what's the plan?" asked Emily. Jenny considered this for a moment or two, and finally decided, "Let's go back to the morgue, I want to have a look at these bodies". Emily nodded, and looked around, before faltering. "Um…Mr Thursday? Can you show us where the morgue is?" she asked hesitantly, rather embarrassed to have forgotten. Fortunately Edmund had recovered from his shock at the TARDIS enough to lead them to the morgue.

When they arrived however, Amos had more company (well, living company) than they were expecting. When Jenny saw a Sontaron in the morgue, her immediate reaction was to try and pull Emily behind her; she didn't expect the Sontaron, and she certainly didn't expect Emily to run forward with a wide smile on her face. "Strax! Aunt Vastra! Aunt Jenny!" she exclaimed, giving the maid a hug. "Emily? What're you doing 'ere?" the maid asked in surprise.

"My big sister Jenny and I are trying to save our family from a creepy factory. Hey – there are two Jenny's here, isn't that funny?" she realised, looking between her sister and the maid. Jenny met Jenny's eyes, and they both said in unison, "This just got complicated".

/

A/N: Sorry about the slow update guys, this chapter just didn't seem to gel, you know?


	21. The Crimson Horror Pt 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who

The Crimson Horror – Part Two

They all reconvened in Edmund's kitchen; Madam Vastra thanked him for his hospitality, and the nervous man assured her it was no trouble, glancing nervously at Strax, who kept glaring at him to 'intimidate the human weakling' for fun. "So; Jenny, Strax and I came up from London to investigate rumours of this 'Crimson Horror', and we certainly were not expecting to find you here as well Emily" the Silurian commented, removing her veil once Edmund had left the room. Jenny – the other Jenny – looked mildly surprised, but not at all put off by her appearance. In some ways that was refreshing.

"You can help us save my family as well – we can use all the help we can get" Emily insisted, fidgeting anxiously beside the door. "Of course we'll help you" her aunt Jenny promised, and then her sister Jenny interjected, "But we need a plan first, remember?"

"I don't care about a stupid plan!" Emily snapped crossly, stamping her foot. The adults stared at the normally sweet and cheerful little girl in surprise – and then Strax, of all people, spoke up and agreed with her. "The little boy is right – this is a time for action! I suggest a full frontal assault on the premises involving the use of scissor grenades, limbo vapour and triple blast brain splitters" he announced firmly.

_It would be unbecoming of me to 'face-palm' as they say in the twenty first century _Vastra had to remind herself, before calmly telling Strax, "That won't be necessary" . Or at least she was _going _to tell him that, but she was interrupted by Emily giggling. "I think they mean we need to be sneaky, Strax" she told him, before turning back to the more sane adults with a contrite expression. "I'm sorry I shouted. I'm just really, really, really worried about them. I can't hear them at all" she explained with a worried frown.

"What do you mean?" asked Jenny in confusion. "In my head; I've been practicing telepathy really hard, see, and I can feel where they are…sort of…but I can't hear anything when I try to communicate with them. It's like there's this spiky metal door in the way, and I think that means they're hurt" Emily explained, sounding distressed at the very thought. Her sister came to give her a comforting hug, as Vastra said decisively, "Then we must learn all we can of this 'Sweetville', and formulate a _sensible _plan of action" she added with a pointed look at Strax.

Jenny cleared her throat and said, "Begging your pardon, ma'am, but there is one thing we need to work out first".

"And that would be?"

"Me and her" Jenny replied, gesturing between herself and Emily's sister, "how're you gonna tell us apart? Not everyone is gonna be calling me 'Aunt Jenny' after all" she pointed out. Strax said bluntly, "The way to tell you apart is obvious, boy. Her hair is an ugly shade of yellow, whilst yours is an even uglier shade of brown".

"What would _you _know about hair? You don't even have any!"

Before Strax could retaliate, Vastra cleared her throat and glared warningly at them both. "Never mind; I'm willing to be called Jennifer, if it helps anything" Jenny offered. The other Jenny put Emily back down and insisted, "No, you don't have to do that. I don't mind being called Jen; my boss calls me that sometimes".

"That's fine by me" Jenny shrugged, and Jen smiled. "Well, now that this has been rectified, would you please ask our host to come and explain all he knows of Sweetville, dear?" Vastra requested of Jenny, who nodded and left the kitchen with a "Right away, ma'am". Edmund returned with her, and he looked taken aback by Vastra, but he didn't shout or faint, which was something.

The plan they formulated in the end was that Jenny and Jen would join the ranks of the 'brightest and the best' people that Mrs Gillyflower recruited, search out one or more of the Time Lords and Clara, all whilst Vastra and Strax would search for the secret of the factory and try to apprehend Gillyflower if possible. Then Emily announced, "Don't forget I'm coming to", and the planning was brought to an abrupt halt.

"Emily…this is dangerous. It isn't really the place for a little girl" Jenny tried to tell her, but Emily folded her arms and looked as stubborn as she possibly could. "I know I look like I'm just eight, but I'm really fifteen. Besides, you'll need me to help you find my parents. I can let my telepathic links to them lead me right to them, like…like a metal detector! Well, it's not really like that, but if it helps…" she trailed off.

Jenny and Jen looked at each other doubtfully. "Please, let me come! I don't want to just sit here waiting, thinking you might get caught too and not come back. It was bad enough the first two times" Emily begged them. Jen sighed and said, "I think we can keep her safe, between the two of us". Jenny nodded in agreement, and then warned Emily "But you have to do what we say, understand?"

She nodded emphatically. First, Jen dressed in clothes more fitting for the time period, using the TARDIS wardrobe. "It's a shame none of us know how to fly the TARDIS" she commented; it would have made things easier, or so she thought, but then Emily pointed out "If that nasty Mrs Gillyflower got hold of it we'd be in huge trouble!"

Jenny, Jen and Emily went to a sermon by Mrs Gillyflower on 'The Present Moral Decay and the Coming Apocalypse'. There were a lot of people present, listening attentively as the old woman spoke of a scare story about 'immoral wastrels' this and 'God-fearing' that. "Bradford, that Babylon of the moderns with its crystal light and its glitter, all aswarm with the wretched ruins of humanity. Men and women crushed by the devil's juggernaut" Gillyflower said passionately, and the crowd murmured in agreement.

"And moral turpitude can destroy the most delicate of lives. Believe me, I know. I know" Gillyflower continued, drawing back a curtain to reveal a young woman sitting on a stool, her eyes blind with scarring around them. "Me own daughter, blinded in a drunken rage by my late husband. Her once beautiful eyes, pale and white as mistletoe berries" Gillyflower lamented. Her daughter walked over, with the aid of a stick, to a covered board.

Gillyflower continued with her sermon. "And what, my friends, is your story? Will you be found wanting when the End of Days is come, when judgement rains down upon us all? Or will you be preserved against the coming apocalypse? Do not despair. I offer a way out. There is a different path. Sweetville!" she announced grandly, as her daughter pulled away the cloth on the board to reveal an image of the 'perfect community', two rows of neat terraced houses with the factory in the background.

"Join us. Join us in this shining city on the hill" Gillyflower implored them all, and then she began to sing a hymn. "Bring me my bow of burning gold. Bring me my arrows of desire…" Jen looked down at Emily, who was very bored; she looked up at her big sister and pulled a face. Jen nearly laughed aloud and had to cover it up as a coughing fit. She thought she saw Gillyflower glaring at her for interrupting the song out of the corner of her eye. _Serves you right for kidnapping my dad, you old bat. _

They lined up with the others to sign up for Sweetville. "You wish to join us, my dear?" Gillyflower asked Jenny, who replied as neutrally as she could, "If it's all the same with you, ma'am".

"Oh yes dear, you'll do very nicely" Gillyflower smiled. Emily looked around, and realised there were very few children present. She grew worried…what if they thought she was too young to join? What if she had to stay behind _again_? After Jen had signed the book, she explained, "Can my little sister come with me? She'll be no bother". Gillyflower peered at the young Time Lady, who hid slightly behind Jen, and smiled rather sinisterly, or so Emily thought. "Oh, I'm sure we can find a place for her" she said amiably.

They then had to queue up once more, in two separate lines; one for men and one for women. Jen kept a tight hold of Emily's hand. In front of her, Jenny got talking to a redheaded young woman. "'m dead nervous, aren't you? They have to be sure, you see. Only the best for Sweetville. I hope me teeth don't let me down. I'm Abigail" she introduced herself. Jenny smiled and shook her hand, saying "Pleased to meet you".

"You're not local, are you?"

"Nah, up from London"

"Different here, I bet"

"Yeah, like a bleeding horse market. Do you know anyone who's come to live here? In Sweetville, I mean" Jenny asked Abigail, who explained, "I had a pal who come here three month back. She wrote to tell me how perfect it all were. Funny, though. I've not heard a peep from her since" she added, frowning thoughtfully. "Next please!" someone at the front of the queue called. "Hang on, we're moving" said Abigail, as they all shuffled forward a space.

Jenny found herself beside a locked, very tempting door. She looked back at Jen, who glanced at the door and nodded, moving to the side a bit to block Jenny from the view of people behind them. Jenny threw her a grateful look and took out her lock-picking kit. "What're you doing?" hissed Abigail. Jenny turned to her and said, "Do me a favour. Cause a distraction".

"What?"

"Swoon. Have a funny turn. Fit of the vapours"

"Are you crackers?"

"Go on, there's a Guinea in it for you" said Jenny, handing her a shiny coin. "Done" Abigail smirked, before heaving a great sigh and 'fainting', much to the consternation of everyone around her. Whilst they fussed over Abigail, Jenny quickly unlocked the door; she, Jen and Emily slipped through it. Behind the door, they found themselves in the 'factory', although the noises of machinery at work were being played through three enormous gramophone horns. They hid behind a bunch of crates as two men carried a large glass flask of red liquid across the room and into a lift.

/

Back at the morgue, Vastra wanted to see the Doctor's experiments with the substance found on the victims of the 'Crimson Horror'. "Them new manufacturers can do horrible things to a person" Amos told Edmund, who had come along with her (Strax stood guard outside) "Horrible. I've pickled things in here that'd fair turn your hair snowy as top of Buckden Pike".

Edmund looked slightly disturbed. "Yes, well, we're here about the red coating" he said awkwardly. "Oh, aye. All them bits found in t'canal. The Crimson Horror" Amos said creepily, handing over a large bottle half full of red liquid. Vastra examined it, and threw back her veil with her back to him. "It hardly seems possible" she breathed, much to Edmunds confusion. "What does?"

"I think, I think I've seen these symptoms before"

"You have?"

"A long time ago"

"Oh? How long, exactly?"

Vastra turned to him and Amos. "About sixty five million years" she announced. Both men looked stunned, but for quite different reasons. "Good God" Amos muttered, looking at Vastra in shock. She rolled her eyes. "I don't understand" Edmund admitted, "surely you weren't…" he trailed off when Vastra gave him a pointed look. "It's usually considered rather bad form to make aspersions about a lady's age, Mr Thursday" she said coolly.

"Uh, yes, quite – but still, you can't mean that this 'crimson horror' is from…from prehistoric times, surely?"

"I'm afraid I mean exactly that. Strax and I will make haste to the factory and investigate this…will you join us?" Vastra asked Edmund. He considered it, and finally decided "I think I'd better not. Someone will need to inform the authorities if anything goes wrong…assuming I can convince them to listen to me for once" he muttered under his breath.

/

Once the men had gone into the lift, Jen turned to Emily and whispered, "Okay sis, can you tell where everybody is?" Emily closed her eyes, face screwed up in concentration. Finding her parents and godparents was like…like reaching out in pitch blackness for a string, that was tangled up with three other strings, and following the string all the way to whoever she wanted to find. Well, it wasn't really like that…but the imaginary strings were also colour coded. The ones to her mummy and daddy were brighter and a pretty yellow and blue colour.

She came out of her brief trance and whispered to Jenny and Jen, "Daddy is…upstairs. In the lift, right at the top", she pointed at the lift, which was coming down, if the blinking lights were any indication. They all ducked down again, and watched warily as the two workers from before emerged and left with the empty flask. "Come on, let's get in there before they come back" Jenny urged the other two. They hurried across the room and into the lift, pressing the button for the top floor.

The corridor they found themselves in had a door at one end, with a red glow emanating from the window. "Is he in there, Emily?" asked Jenny, and the young Time Lady hesitated. "…Maybe. It's like, the string goes further on but it's not glowing anymore, so I can't tell where it leads" she said thoughtfully. All she knew for certain was that her father was _somewhere _up here. "I'm going to go check it out" Jen decided, hurrying down the corridor and peering in through the porthole.

It didn't look like anyone was inside. "Jen!" hissed Jenny, beckoning her back down the corridor, "there's another staircase back here. I'll go up and see what's going on, you stay here and look after Emily". She climbed up the staircase, and began to hear a thumping, rattling noise, so perhaps they were on the right track at last. She came to a metal door with a hatch cut out in the bottom. She slid the hatch open and a scarlet hand shot out, grabbing her wrist.

She gasped in shock, and pulled herself free. "Doctor, is that you?" she asked cautiously; in reply there was a thump and a rattle. "We're here to rescue you. Are you hurt?" she asked. Another thump – she assumed they meant 'yes'. "Alright, then stand well back, alright? I'll open the door". One more thump, and the hand disappeared back through the hatch. Jenny stood up and took out her lock-picks; she made short work of unlocking the door, before bracing herself and opening it.

"Doctor!" she exclaimed in shock, seeing him covered in the waxy red substance like the corpses, but still very much alive and in obvious pain. He was stiff, his mouth was gaping, and he was in chains. "Oh my God…wait here, I'll be right back" Jenny promised him, leaving the room and hurrying back down the stairs. She found Jen and Emily waiting for her; thankfully they had not been discovered. "Here, listen. I don't think Emily needs to see this, it'll just upset her" she told Jen under her breath.

"Gotcha…Emily, you and I ought to scope out that room back there, in case we need to hide in it" Jen said to her little sister. "Um, okay, but what about daddy? Isn't he up there?" Emily asked in concern. Jenny wasn't sure what to say, but luckily Jen came to her rescue. "If he is, he'll need somewhere to hide and come up with a plan" she reasoned. Emily thought about it for a moment, and then said, "I guess so. What do we have to do?"

Jen led her to the red glow room, borrowing Jenny's lock-pick set to open the door. Motioning for Emily to be very quiet, she peered around the door and then stepped further into the room. As far as she could tell, there was no-one inside, so she beckoned Emily in. The two of them looked out through a window at two large vats of the red poison. "Daddy's hurt, isn't he?" Emily asked out of the blue.

"What makes you think he's hurt?"

"I'm not blind, sis. Or stupid…Jenny had that look that all grown-ups get, when they think I'm 'too young' to see something. I'm not a baby"

"Well…they're just trying to protect you"

"I know, but if I don't see scary stuff, it'll never stop being scary, will it? It's the same with upsetting stuff. That's why I didn't mind seeing the dead people in the morgue. I mean, it's really sad that they died, but they're not being hurt anymore and they weren't gonna hurt me…unless they turned into zombies or something" Emily giggled, and Jen couldn't help but laugh as well. "I have one very wise little sister, don't I?" she smiled. Emily nodded, and then the door opened.

Straightaway she looked past Jen to where Jenny was helping her dad into the room. "Daddy!" she exclaimed – but quietly – "ouch. Don't worry, we'll get that stuff off…somehow" she assured him. She really wanted to hug him, but she got the feeling that might make it feel worse. "Look at this" Jen called from the window. They watched as unconscious people dangling from racks were lowered into the poison. "Yuck – worst bath ever" Emily announced, scrunching her nose up.

With difficulty, the Doctor pointed towards a row of metal cabinets. "What is it? You want to go in there?" asked Jenny, and Emily nodded for him. "He must do, why else would he point at it?" she reasoned. So they helped the Doctor over to the cabinets, and he stepped inside one. Jenny handed him his clothes, Jen gave him his sonic, which he managed to power up. They shut the door and then heard footsteps, so they quickly hid behind another vat of poison.

The light on the top of the cabinet turned from red to green, and then the Doctor emerged, fully dressed and poison free. "Emily!" he cried, scooping the little girl into his arms and hugging her tightly. "Oh, I missed you so much. And Jenny!" he added, giving his older daughter a one armed hug, "and…Jenny?" he finished, looking between his daughter and the Victorian maid, who nodded at the other Jenny and explained, "We're calling her 'Jen'".

"Right, okay. Come on sweetheart, we need to find your mum" the Doctor said to Emily, setting her down. Emily beamed. Soon they'd all be rescued, and they'd stop Mrs Gillyflower, and everything would be okay again…she couldn't wait!


	22. The Crimson Horror Pt 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who

The Crimson Horror – Part Three

Jenny kept a lookout whilst the Doctor aimed his sonic at the cabinet he'd just stepped out of, face set in concentration. "What're you doing?" Jen asked curiously, and the Doctor checked the readings on his sonic before giving a satisfied nod. "I was transferring the restorative properties of the machine to my sonic; that way we won't have to bring the others back here to be cured" he explained, before adding to Jenny, "Is the coast clear?"

"Let me check" she replied, slipping out of the room. A few moments later, she stuck her head back around the door and beckoned for them to come out. "Did you tell Jen and Jenny what happened, sweetheart?" the Doctor asked his younger daughter, holding her hand. Emily nodded. "How did you end up in that room anyway?" Jenny inquired, and the Doctor explained, "Mrs Gillyflower has been dipping her 'pilgrims' in a diluted poison to preserve them, but for some reason the process didn't work on me, no idea why. Her daughter rescued me".

"And chained you up? When you could barely move?"

"Well, she couldn't tell, she's blind. Besides, she saved me from being chucked in the canal, so I can't be too mad at her".

"Hang about. What does Gillyflower want to 'preserve' people for? Preserve them against what?" Jenny asked in confusion. "Well, according to her, the coming apocalypse" the Doctor replied, making a 'cuckoo' gesture. Emily giggled, covering her mouth with a hand. "She was talking about an apocalypse at the sermon, wasn't she?" Jen mentioned to Jenny, who cast her mind back and then nodded. "Yeah, actually she was. What was it she said again? 'When the End of Days is come and judgement rains down upon us all', or something" she recalled.

The Doctor's lips pursed. "Rains…" he murmured thoughtfully. Jen looked at him in confusion. "Dad?" she questioned and he blinked. "Sorry, it's nothing. Come on, we've got to find the others" he said decisively. Jenny pulled him back from going around a corner, and they all hid quickly as a group of pilgrims strode past. The Doctor mouthed _thank you _to Jenny, and slowly crept out of his hiding place.

/

Strax had somehow managed to get lost on the way to Sweetville. This was due in part to his insistence on not taking the direct route to the factory, since that was 'exactly what their enemies would suspect'. When the horse pulling the carriage decided to stop for a rest, Strax realised that he had failed in his mission – but being a Sontaron, he refused to admit defeat, so he blamed the equine instead. "Horse, you have failed in your mission. We are lost, with no sign of Sweetville. Do you have any final words before your summary execution?" he demanded.

The horse gave no indication it was even paying attention. Strax rolled his eyes. "The usual story. Fourth one this week, and I'm not even hungry" he complained, hefting his giant gun. "Sweetville, sir?" a street urchin asked, making Strax pause and frown at the boy. "Do you know it?"

"Turn around when possible. Then, at the end of the road, turn right"

"What?"

"Bear left for a quarter of a mile and you will have reached your destination" the urchin informed Strax, who invited him to sit up on the driver's seat. "Thank you. What is your name?"

"Thomas, sir. Thomas Thomas".

"I think you will do well, Thomas Thomas".

/

In the second house on the left, they found Clara sitting beneath a bell jar, a stranger standing behind her with his hand on her shoulder. "But that…but she died. How can she be here?" Jenny asked in confusion. The Doctor waved off her questions and prompted "Never mind that, help me look for a release mechanism or something".

They searched quickly and found a lever behind a cabinet, which lifted half of the bell jar up off the floor. The Doctor hurried up to Clara and aimed the sonic at her forehead. As it buzzed, the diluted poison coating her began to crack and peel off. Soon Clara was blinking, and opening her mouth. "Hello" she said uncertainly. "Hello, Clara. Can you stand up?" the Doctor asked, helping her to her feet. "Ouch. Ow. I am stiff" she said bluntly.

"Expected, you have been sitting there for almost two days. This is Jenny, by the way, and this is also Jenny, but we're calling her Jen" the Doctor acknowledged, bringing her out of the bell jar. "Dad, what about him?" asked Jen, pointing at the man who had been posed with Clara. "No time, we'll have to come back for him and the others. Now, Romana and the other two must be around here somewhere" the Doctor insisted, lowering the bell jar again and sneaking out of the room.

Clara looked at Jenny – Jen, rather – and said awkwardly, "So…how's Torchwood?"

"Great, but we'd better catch up. I think my dad's being a bit single-minded".

They soon found the Corsair and Flavia in another house, freed them, and then finally made it to Romana. The moment the Doctor saw a stranger with his hand on _his _wife's shoulder, he grabbed the nearest chair and smashed the glass. "So much for the lever" Jen quipped, as the Doctor stepped through the hole and knelt in front of Romana. As he reversed the effects of the poison, the glazed look in her eyes melted away and finally…she smiled at him. "Hello" he smiled right back in relief.

"Hello, dear – Emily! Oh, darling, thank goodness you're okay" she said thankfully as Emily ran up to her, the Corsair having helped her over the sharp glass. _I missed you so much. Having to cut myself off from you so you wouldn't feel my pain was unbearable _the Doctor told Romana as she stood up, but still didn't let go of her little girl. _I missed you too _she replied, giving him a loving smile.

"I can't help but wonder why that horrid stuff affected all of us and not you, Doctor" Flavia wondered aloud. They all looked at each other for possible explanations, but none were forthcoming. "Perhaps it was because I was conscious" the Doctor suggested. Then Romana added, "Or maybe it was mere bad luck".

"Or it was just a plot convenience…what?" the Corsair asked when everyone stared at him. They emerged from the house to find that the sound of smashing glass had apparently not gone unnoticed. Eight pilgrims surrounded them, four on each side. "Oh, great, great, attack of the supermodels" the Doctor rolled his eyes, "Time for a plan".

Jenny grinned at him. "Nah, Doctor, this one's on us" she announced, gesturing to Jen, before pulling off her dress and bonnet and proceeding to kick the asses of four pilgrims in her leather suit, whilst Jen made short work of the other four. "Now _that _was a good plan!" the Corsair grinned in approval. Then more pilgrims advanced on them, this time with bats. Jen and Jenny prepared to fight them off again, and the Corsair reached for his gun only to realise it had been taken from him. _I really need to find it, that thing cost a fortune _he thought.

They were spared having to fight off the pilgrims by a cry of "Sontar-Ha!" and Strax marching into the courtyard with his great big gun. Vastra was right behind him, wielding a sword. "Do you have another one of those?" the Corsair asked her eagerly, and Flavia gave him an odd look. _They took my gun, and I know it sounds mad but not having a weapon is uncomfortable for me. I feel naked _he explained, and she grimaced slightly before replying, _Okay, I really didn't need that mental image thank you, and I think you can deal with the loss until we stop this madness._

"Let's go" Vastra insisted, but Jenny told her, "No ma'am, we're not escaping. We have to stop Gillyflower". Clara tried to look at Vastra without actually appearing to be staring at the Silurian, and tapped Romana on the shoulder. "Is she…?" the question trailed off as Clara darted her eyes over to Vastra. "She's a Silurian, a member of a sapient reptilian species that used to be the dominant species on Earth before humans evolved. Long story" Romana explained as briefly as she could.

"What now, madam? We could lay mimetic cluster mines" Strax suggested eagerly.

"Strax…"

"Or dig trenches and fill them with acid!"

"Strax! You're overexcited. Have you been eating Miss Jenny's sherbet fancies again?"

"…No" the Sontaron lied. Emily's eyes lit up and she turned to Jenny eagerly, asking "Do you have any with you now?"

"Sorry, Emily, no sherbet today" Jenny apologised. The little girl pouted until her mother sighed and promised, "You can have some sherbet when we get back to the TARDIS, darling". She just couldn't resist Emily's puppy dog eyes. They made their way cautiously through the factory, and on the way Vastra explained to the Time Lords what she'd learned about the poison. "My people once ruled this world, as well you know, but we did not rule it alone. Just as humanity fights a daily battle against nature, so did we. And our greatest plague, the most virulent enemy, was the repulsive red leech".

"Ooh, the Repulsive Red Leech" the Doctor repeated, before pulling a face, "Nah. On balance I think I prefer the Crimson Horror. What was it, exactly?" he inquired.

"A tiny parasite. It infected our drinking water. And once in our systems, it secreted a fatal poison".

"If it's been hanging around, lurking in the shadows, maybe it's evolved. Or maybe it's had help" the Doctor surmised. They paused and Clara looked out of a small window at the chimney of the factory…and then she realised something important. "Um, guys? Doctor, the chimney"- she tried to tell them, but the Doctor waved her off saying "Yeah, yeah, yeah, way past that now. Yucky red parasite from the time of the dinosaurs pitches up in Victorian Yorkshire. Didn't see that one coming" he admitted.

Romana raised an eyebrow at him. "Dear, let Clara finish" she scolded lightly. He gave Clara an apologetic look and asked, "What were you saying?" She smiled and pointed at the chimney, before stating, "The chimney doesn't blow smoke". The Doctor looked from her to chimney a few times, and slowly smiled. "Clever cogs".

"Missed me?"

"Yeah, lots" he agreed, giving her a hug. They made their way to the boiler room, and hid behind some crates. "So she's going to poison the atmosphere" Romana explained to Clara, Jen, Jenny and Emily. "How?" asked Jenny – the Corsair pointed past her at a large rocket sitting directly beneath the chimney. "I'm guessing with that" he deadpanned. Two pilgrims came forwards carrying a flask of the red liquid, setting it down close to the rocket. "And there's the poison. All right, gang, I've got a plan" said the Doctor, "we need to find Ada".

They started to stand up, but they knocked against pipes and had to duck back down quickly to avoid being spotted. "There's too many of us" Flavia whispered, "we need to split up".

"Good idea" the Doctor agreed, before instructing Vastra, "You, Jenny and Strax wait here. As soon as there's an opportunity to get that poison away from the rocket, take it right out of their reach". Vastra nodded in understanding, hand tightening around the hilt of her sword. "Hey, dad? As much as I'd love to see you confront the witch responsible for all this, can I stay with Jenny? I think we make a pretty good team" Jen smiled at Jenny, who grinned back in agreement.

"Okay, but be careful" he agreed. The Time Lords and Clara snuck away, leaving the Paternoster Gang and the generated anomaly on poison watch. The Doctor headed straight for the place he felt Ada was most likely to be – the locked room she'd been keeping him in, for his own safety he realised. Sure enough she was in there, sitting on a small ledge in the corner and crying into her hands. Only the Doctor, Romana, Emily, Flavia and Clara came into the room – the Corsair took a piece of piping and stood guard at the bottom of the stairs.

Ada looked up when she heard their footsteps. "Who is that? Who is there?" she asked fearfully; to put her at ease, the Doctor knelt down to be face to face with her and ran her hand over his face. "You…" she gasped in recognition, "it's you! My monster…you've come back. But you're…"

"Warm" the Doctor finished for her, "and alive, thanks to you, Ada. You saved me from your mother's human rubbish tip. Now then, what's wrong?" he asked her in concern. Tears continued to fall from her milky eyes as she replied, "She does not want me, monster. I am not to be chosen. Perhaps it was my own sin, the blackness in my heart that my father saw in me".

"Ada, no, that's nonsense. Stupid, backward nonsense, and you know it. You know it" he insisted, feeling his anger towards Gillyflower rising. The things she'd done to this poor girl… "Um, miss Ada?" Emily said hesitantly, and Ada's brow creased as she turned towards this unfamiliar, childish voice. "Who is that?"

"My name's Emily, and…thank you for saving my daddy. I was really worried about him" the little girl explained, before boldly stepping forward and giving Ada a hug around her middle. The blind woman started at the unexpected touch, but soon relaxed and patted Emily on the back. "Oh…you're welcome, child" she smiled. Emily pulled back and gave her a kiss on the cheek before going back to Romana. It was a heartwarming sight, but they had no time to indulge in sentiment. "Now, Ada, I need you to tell me something. Who is Mister Sweet? Ada?" the Doctor asked, but she hesitated. "Oh, dear monster…"

"Please, tell me"

"I cannot. Even now, I cannot. I cannot betray Mama" Ada insisted. The Doctor looked at Romana, who had worked out the same terrible thing he had, and she nodded. She had to know, and there was only one person she'd believe. "Well, come with us, then. There's something you need to know" the Doctor told Ada, helping her to her feet.

/

About the Corsair breaking the fourth wall….I'm sorry (I'm not really). It won't happen again (probably).


	23. The Crimson Horror Pt 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who

The Crimson Horror – Part Four

With Ada's help, they found their way to Gillyflowers drawing room. Set into the back wall was a steampunk style control panel, presumably for remote activating the rocket. Mrs Gillyflower didn't seem too surprised to see them. "Oh, you do seem to keep turning up like bad pennies, don't you?" she chuckled. The Doctor subtly moved in front of Romana and Emily. "Force of habit" he replied with a shrug. "Can I offer you something? Tea? Seed cake? Oh, a glass of Amontillado?" she suggested, holding up a bottle of sherry wine.

"No, thanks. We've had a skinful already, as you might say" the Doctor replied sarcastically. Gillyflower chuckled briefly, ""Ha, ha, very funny"

"Yes. We're the good guys, you're nuts, and we're going to stop you" the Doctor informed Gillyflower. She merely smiled sinisterly at them and calmly replied, "I'm afraid Mister Sweet and I cannot allow that". The Corsair inquired, "Who is Mister Sweet anyway? What's his interest in dipping people in a diluted form of prehistoric leech venom?"

"Mister Sweet is always with us…In fact, you might even call our relationship…symbiotic" Gillyflower replied creepily, unbuttoning the top of her dress and pulling it down to reveal a fat red leech clinging to her chest. Emily summed up their disgust nicely when she took one look at the leech and bluntly exclaimed, "Eww!"

Gillyflower glared at the girl, and she ducked back behind Romana, who glared right back at the madwoman. "Mister Sweet is a survivor. He has grown fat on the filth humanity has pumped into the rivers. That's where I found him" she explained, talking about the repulsive creature like it was some kind of pet, or even a sentient creature. "Very enterprising" the Doctor noted, grimacing. He felt a bit sick.

"His needs are simple, and in return he gives me his nectar"

"Do you even realise what you're doing?" asked Flavia, "In the wrong hands that venom could wipe out the entire planet!" she insisted. Gillyflower then proved she was completely mad when she simply held up her hands and asked, "Do you know what these are? Ha, ha! The wrong hands". She bustled over to the control panel and pulled a lever. "Planning a little fireworks party, are we?" the Doctor inquired coolly.

"You've all forced me to advance the Great Work somewhat, but my colossal scheme remains as it was. My rocket will explode high in the atmosphere, raining down Mister Sweet's beneficence onto all humanity"

"And wiping us all out. You can't!" Clara exclaimed desperately. Gillyflower didn't pay her any attention. "My new Adam and Eves will sleep for but a few months before stepping out into a golden dawn. Is it not beautiful, Doctor?" He didn't dignify that with an answer,ut instead replied, "Now, tell us about Ada, Mrs Gillyflower".

"What?"

"She's your daughter, your own flesh and blood. How can you forget her?" Romana asked coldly, squeezing Emily's small hand tucked into her own to reassure herself that her own daughter was still there, safe and alive. "How can you speak of such trivia when my hour is at hand? The child is of no consequence" Gillyflower replied with a callousness that chilled even the Corsair's hearts. "Is that why you experimented on her?" asked the Doctor, much to Clara's shock. "Experimented?"

"The signs are all there. The pattern of scarring. You used her as a guinea pig, didn't you" the Doctor said to Gillyflower; it wasn't a question. "God"…Clara felt even more ill. Gillyflower showed no remorse, not even a hint of regret – instead she had the gall to defend herself. "Sometimes sacrifices must be made" she insisted. Romana looked at her like she was the lowest scum on Earth. "There is _nothing _that justifies what you've done to Ada" she snapped.

"It was necessary. I had to find out how much of the venom would produce an anti-toxin to immunise myself. Don't you see? It was necessary!"

"Mama? Is it, is it true?" Ada asked suddenly, startling Mrs Gillyflower who hadn't realised that Ada was listening at the door. "Ada…" she began, but she had no idea what to say, and her daughter took the silence for confirmation. "It is…it's true. True!" she gasped.

"Ada, listen to me"-

"You hag! You perfidious hag! You virago! You harpy! All these years I have helped you, served you, looked after you. Do they count for nothing, nothing at all?" Ada demanded furiously, advancing on Gillyflower and slashing at her with her walking stick. "No, stop, stop!" Gillyflower cried out, trying to shield herself from the blows. Clara took advantage of the distraction to grab a nearby chair and march up to the control panel.

The Doctor realised what she was doing and exclaimed, "Hang on, we've got sonic screwdrivers!" He held up his own for emphasis. Clara just replied, "Yeah? I've got a chair", and smashed it into the control panel. There was a plume of smoke and sparks. "NO!" Gillyflower shouted in horror, seeing her efforts destroyed. "Yeah. That worked" the Doctor admitted, before turning to Gillyflower and saying, "I'm afraid your rocket isn't going anywhere, Mrs G".

Gillyflower held her arms out to Ada, who had stopped angrily swiping at her, and begged, "Please, come to me, Ada". Against her better judgement, Ada felt pity for her mother and moved forward to embrace her. "Oh, my child. You have always been so very… useful" Gillyflower smirked, turning Ada around and holding a small revolver to her head. The Doctor stepped forward in alarm. "No, Mrs Gillyflower"-

"Please, Mama. No more. No more" Ada pleaded fearfully, struggling in her mother's tight grasp. "And now, if you'll please forgive us, we must be going. It is long past Ada's bedtime" Gillyflower said mockingly, forcing Ada out of the room and locking the door behind her. Clara made to follow them, but the Doctor caught her wrist and held her back. "No, no, Clara. If we follow straight after her, she'll shoot Ada on the spot".

"She wouldn't".

"She would" he confirmed, striding up to the destroyed control panel. "Chairs are useful" he stated, yanking it out of the panel and then hefting it up at the window. Romana put a hand on his shoulder and reminded him, "I think you've smashed enough glass today, dear". He sighed and lowered the chair, sheepishly admitting "You're probably right".

Then he pulled out his sonic screwdriver, and opened the window in a slightly less dramatic way. "Hold on!" the Corsair exclaimed as they began to climb out; he'd pulled out his own sonic and was scanning the room. It led him to a small cupboard, which he started rummaging around in. "Where is it, where is it, where is – aha!" he exclaimed joyfully, pulling out his precious gun and giving it a kiss.

/

"Come along, Ada. Don't dawdle" Gillyflower prompted impatiently as she dragged Ada across the factory floor towards the rocket. "Please, Mama, stop!" Ada entreated her, but Gillyflower didn't listen. "Has the venom been loaded?" she asked a pilgrim, who nodded blank faced and replied, "Yes, ma'am".

"Then heaven awaits you" she nodded, before pulling Ada away. They climbed up the staircase encircling the rocket, right to the top where a secondary control mechanism was placed. The Time Lords and Clara arrived in the nick of time, having taken a shortcut through Sweetville. "Stop!" Gillyflower demanded, aiming her revolver at them. The Corsair responded by pointing his own blaster at her, but Flavia tugged his arm down, warning "Don't, she'll shoot Ada!"

The Doctor began to hurry up the stairs. "Just let her go, Mrs Gillyflower. Let Ada go" he pressed. Gillyflower merely laughed and pointed to the smaller control panel beside her. "Secondary firing mechanism; it seems Mister Sweet and I are too smart for you, after all" she grinned down at them, still holding Ada hostage. "Just let your daughter go, Mrs Gillyflower" the Doctor said desperately – but then Ada managed to pull herself free, and stumbled down the steps to the small landing between her mother and the Doctor. "Ada!" Gillyflower snapped angrily.

Ada merely held her head high and retorted, "Shoot if you wish, Mama. It is of no matter, for you killed me a long time ago". The Doctor's eyes widened and he tried to lunge forward, pull Ada out of harm's way; but Gillyflower shot at him instead, forcing him to back down. "I'll labour night and day to be a pilgrim!" the madwoman sang, pressing a few buttons. Seeing her distracted, the Doctor scrambled up to Ada, reaching her just as Gillyflower pulled the lever and the rocket engines ignited; he shielded Ada from the flames as the rocket shot up into the sky.

"Now, Mister Sweet, now the whole world will taste your lethal kiss!" Gillyflower cried triumphantly, holding her hands up to the sky. "Oh yeah?" a cheeky voice asked from the metal catwalk on the other side. Everyone looked over to see Vastra, Jen and Jenny disguised as pilgrims, holding the flask of venom between them. "You did it!" Emily cheered gleefully. Gillyflower looked absolutely furious. "Very well, then. If I can't take the world with me, you will have to do. Die, you freaks. Die! Die!" she yelled, aiming her weapon at the Doctor– but he wasn't looking at her.

Strax leaned over the edge of the chimney and aimed his gun at Gillyflower, instructing her to "Put down your weapon, human female". She foolishly tried to shoot him – of course he retaliated, blasting the catwalk at her feet and sending her tumbling down two storeys, landing with a crack on the concrete. The red leech detached itself from her, and began to laboriously drag itself away. "No. No. Mister Sweet, where are you going? You can't leave me now, Mister Sweet" the dying woman gasped.

"What's it doing?" asked Clara, and Flavia explained, "She was its host, and now she's not any use to it".

"Mr Sweet" Gillyflower croaked, and then a bit louder, "Ada?" Her daughter tapped her way down the stairs, and walked over to Gillyflower. She knelt down beside her mother, who had her eyes closed. "Ada, are you there?"

"I'm here, Mama"

"Forgive me, my child. Forgive me"

"Never" Ada replied, not cruelly, just truthfully. Strangely, Mrs Gillyflower actually seemed proud of this answer. "That's…my…girl" she gasped with her last breath. High above them, the rocket exploded in the sky. Vastra, Jenny and Jen joined the others. "What will you do with that thing?" asked Jenny, pointing at the leech. The Doctor shrugged. "Take it back to the Jurassic era, maybe. Out of harm's way" he suggested. Ada tapped her away across the floor until her stick hit the leech – she scowled and began to smash it to smithereens.

"That works too, though" the Corsair acknowledged bluntly. They returned to the TARDIS, and bid goodbye to the Paternoster Gang, who were heading back to London. "It was really good to meet you, Madam Vastra, Jenny. Strax" Jen added, giving the Sontaron a mock salute which he happily returned. "It was very nice meeting you too" Jenny smiled, before giving her new friend a hug.

The Doctor turned to Clara. "Ready to go?" he asked her, and she nodded. "Yeah; I think we've had enough of Victorian values for a bit".

"You're the boss"

"Really?"

"No, Romana is. Go on, in you get" he prompted, ushering her into the TARDIS. Then he, Romana and Emily walked up to Ada. "Ada? Emily thanked you earlier, but I didn't. Thank you. You were very brave" Romana told her, and she smiled appreciatively. "Now, we'd love to stay and help clean up the mess, but"- Ada cut the Doctor off saying "I know, dear monster. You and your family have things to do".

"And what about you?"

"Oh, there are many things a bright young lady can do to occupy her time. It's time I stepped out of the darkness and into the light" Ada said determinedly, with a smile. "Good luck, Ada. You know, I think you will be just", he kissed her on the cheek, "splendid". He turned to the Paternoster Gang whilst Emily bid goodbye to Ada, and said "Well, thanks a million, you three, as ever. Now, I believe we promised Emily some sherbet, so we'll be heading off. See you around, I shouldn't wonder".

"But Doctor, that girl, Clara; you haven't explained" Jenny protested. The Doctor paused at the TARDIS doors. "No, I haven't" he agreed, before stepping inside. They flew the TARDIS back to the Maitland's house, and Clara bid them farewell after having a long shower, once the Corsair had reminded her what she'd spent recent hours covered in. "Romana might the boss on the TARDIS, but I'm the boss here" she said to herself as she unlocked the door, "yes, I am the boss".

She walked into the living room, looking for the kids, and saw at the laptop lying open on the table. On the screen were photographs of her and the Time Lords – a group shot with the crew of the SS Firebird, a family photo outside of Caliburn House. Angie and Artie stepped into the room as Clara sat staring in disbelief and panic at the photographs. "It's you, isn't it?" asked Angie, pointing over her shoulder at the Caliburn House picture, "It's from the seventies, but it's definitely you".

"Of course it's not" Clara protested; Artie pointed at the picture of them with the Russian crew, and said "And that's you too, from 1983. I found it at school".

"No, that's just someone who looks like me"

"Who's that girl?" asked Angie, indicating the happily smiling Emily, "are you her nanny as well? Does dad know?"

"No, I'm her"-

"Are they aliens?" Artie asked out of the blue. "Why would they be aliens?" asked his sister, and he shrugged. "The chin" he suggested. Angie rolled her eyes. "And the time travel" she pointed out, before opening up another photo. This one was from the Victorian era, but it showed Clara in a different outfit than she remembered wearing, with two children she didn't recognise. "That's not right" she frowned.

"You were in Victorian London"

"No, I was in Victorian Yorkshire" Clara said without thinking – she felt like slapping herself for being so foolish. "How come you didn't tell us?" Angie asked curiously. Artie grinned. "Time travel, that's so cool!" he exclaimed.

"Can we have a go?"

"Can you have a what?"

"We want a shot at the time machine"

"No, no, no, no. Listen"-

"Okay? Or, we'll have to tell Dad that our nanny's a time traveller" Angie blackmailed her. Clara bit her lip and looked down at the photos. What had she gotten them all into?


	24. Nightmare in Silver Pt 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who and that's probably for the best

A/N: Clara was invited to Emily's eleventh/sixteenth birthday party, so Emily is one Earth year older now. Just thought you'd like to know.

Nightmare in Silver – Part One

Clara was waiting for the TARDIS when it dematerialised on the street outside the Maitland's, and she summoned up her resolve as she stepped inside. "Hey, Doctor, listen. I've got a bit of a situation here" she began to say, but of course the Doctor was already in excited mode. "The Fire Cliffs of Kala'Vorsa – well, they're not cliffs on fire, it's waterfalls of lava, but it still looks amazing!" he rambled enthusiastically, moving around the console. He reached for the dematerialisation lever but Romana grabbed hold of his hand. "I think she was trying to tell you something" she pointed out, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Oh, right, sorry Clara, I guess I got a bit carried away there" the Doctor apologised, before asking, "What were you saying?"

"Okay, so, you know when we landed on that submarine?"

"Yes?"

"And when we visited Caliburn House?"

"Uh huh"

"Well…Angie and Artie found photographs of us in the past and they worked out that we're time travellers and they say that if they don't get a trip in the TARDIS they'll tell their dad that I've been time travelling" Clara explained in a rush. She took a few deep breaths as the Time Lords stared at her. "Aren't these the children you babysit?" asked Flavia, "Surely you would have just refused and put an end to it".

"I tried, but they wouldn't listen. Oh, and don't use the word 'babysit' , Angie hates it. She's going through a phase".

The Corsair then inquired, "Would Mr Maitland even _believe_ that you'd been time travelling? I mean, no offence, but you humans are experts at not accepting anything you don't have absolute proof of". Clara sighed and rubbed her temples. "Okay, he probably won't believe them" she admitted, "but what if he does? Or worse, what if he doesn't believe them and thinks I've been filling their heads with nonsense, and fires me?"

"Well, you could travel with us full time then" the Doctor suggested, and Emily grinned eagerly. Clara smiled briefly but still protested, "Thanks for the offer, but I feel responsible for those two. Look, I'm just asking for one trip. That's all. Just one trip for them in the TARDIS and I will never ask for anything again" she pleaded with the Doctor. "I'd like them to come" Emily interjected, "it'd be nice to have more kids to play with".

The Doctor sighed – he never could say no to his daughter. He looked over at Romana, who smiled and nodded. The Corsair shrugged, and Flavia sighed resignedly before saying, "Go on then".

"Alright, just _one _trip" he agreed; Clara beamed and hugged him. "Thank you so much, you're the best. Hang on; I'll just go fetch them". She hurried back to the house, where Angie and Artie were waiting. Angie folded her arms and raised her eyebrows at Clara. "Well?" she demanded. Clara pulled herself to her full height and put on her most authoritative voice. "They said yes, _but _there are rules, and if you don't follow them, you go home".

Angie rolled her eyes. "What rules?"

"Number one, you're getting a single trip. Number two, you don't wander off alone. Number three, you don't touch anything weird or alien looking unless they say it's safe" Clara ticked the rules off on her fingers before adding, more to Angie than Artie, "and be polite. You promise to follow the rules?"

"Yes, Clara" Artie nodded dutifully. Angie examined her fingernails, looking bored. "Sure, yeah, can we go now?" she asked impatiently. Clara sighed, and beckoned for them to follow her. When they first laid eyes on the TARDIS, Angie at least wasn't too impressed. "_That's _their time machine?" she scoffed, "it's just a box". Clara winked at her, and said "Just wait until you see inside". She held the door open and motioned for them to enter.

Artie cautiously stepped into the TARDIS…then his jaw dropped open as he walked further in. He promptly ran out, ran all the way around the box, and came back in again along with Clara and Angie. "It's…it's…bigger on the inside!" he announced in surprise. Angie thought he was being daft saying it out loud like that – obviously the box was bigger on the inside, you didn't need to spell it out! "It's cool, isn't it?" said a young blond girl, holding a hand out for Artie to shake, "I'm Emily, nice to meet you. That's my daddy, the Doctor, my mummy Romana, my godmother Flavia and my godfather the Corsair".

"Artie Maitland, pleased to meet you. Your parent's time machine is amazing" Artie smiled, shaking her hand. Emily beamed, and turned to shake Angie's hand. The other girl didn't really want to, but she could feel Clara's eyes on her, so she reluctantly shook Emily's hand. "Where are we going?" asked Clara. She trusted the Time Lords not to go anywhere dangerous, but the Doctor was picking the destination, and well, his idea of dangerous wasn't really the same as anyone elses.

"It's a surprise, but trust me, the kids will love it" the Doctor assured her. They landed with the usual wheeze, wheeze, and thud. The Doctor stuck his head out the door to check they were in the right place, and they were, which was great. "Well, here we are" he announced as they all trouped out of the TARDIS, "Hedgewick's World! The biggest and best amusement park there will ever be, and we've got a golden ticket. Eh? Eh? Fun!" he said eagerly, holding up a golden ticket straight from Charlie's Chocolate Factory.

They were in some kind of moon exhibit, with a US flag stuck out poker straight, and a painted half-Earth on the wall. "Fun?" Clara asked incredulously; the place reminded her more of a museum than a park. "Your stupid box can't even get us to the right place. This is like a moon base or something" Angie said dismissively. Clara frowned at her. "You promised you'd be polite".

"I promised to follow the rules, and that wasn't one of them" Angie retorted. Clara cursed inwardly when she realised she _hadn't _made that a rule, but she shouldn't _have _to. "Hey, guys. It's not the moon, okay?" the Doctor insisted, before adding "It's a Spacey Zoomer ride, or it was". They were all noticing that the amusement park seemed oddly deserted. Suddenly a door opened in the fake rocks nearby, and a man in a top hat like a magician poked his head out.

"Psst, excuse me? I don't suppose you happen to be my lift off planet? Dave's Discount Interstellar Removals?" he asked hopefully. Clara shrugged. "Afraid not" she replied, and the man sighed. "They were meant to be here six months ago. Well, that's Dave for you, see? Unreliable".

"Stay where you are!" a woman's voice cut through the air; the man winced and ducked back into his hiding place. A bunch of soldiers ran in and levelled their weapons at the rather taken aback group. "Throw down your weapons and identify yourselves" their captain demanded, and the Doctor immediately began waving his hands about like a demented mime. "No. No weapons. Golden ticket. Spacey Zoomer. Free ice cream?" he rambled, holding up the ticket.

The captain stared at him. "Who are you? This planet is closed, by Imperial order" she informed them. The Doctor pulled out his psychic paper. "How's this?" he asked, holding it up. The captain looked at it, and her eyes widened. "Oh. Welcome, Proconsul. I wish they'd told us you and your advisors were coming. Any news of the Emperor?" she inquired. The Doctor looked at the psychic paper, saw that it did indeed say he was the Proconsul, and decided to roll with it. "Oh, the Emperor… No, no. None that you'd, err"-

"We pray for his return. If there is anything you need, my platoon is at your service".

"Right. Righty-o. Well, carry on, Captain" the Doctor instructed. The captain threw him a salute, much to his annoyance, and turned to her troop. "Platoon, let's move out! On the double. Two, three, four. Two, three, four. Two, three, four". They 'marched' away with as much military precision as boy scouts, confirming what the Corsair had guessed the minute they'd arrived – this lot were probably some sort of punishment platoon.

Their new acquaintance re-emerged from the 'rocks'. "Have they gone?" he asked, and Romana assured them they had. "Uniforms give me the heebie-jeebies. Come on. They can't stop me being here, but they don't like it" he explained, leading them away from the Spacey Zoomer ride and to the gateway of the rest of the park. "Ha, ha! You see? I told you it was amazing" the Doctor smiled, but it soon faded as he added, "Well, it used to be".

The park was in ruins, with rusting abandoned mega-coasters and grass growing up between the cracks in the concrete. "It closed down. Wish I'd known that before I landed here. But let me show you my collection. Come along. Follow me. This way. This way in, come on". They went back to his hiding place, which turned out to be a well-furnished room filled with waxwork figures.

"Welcome to my show. Webley's World of Wonders. Miracles, marvels and more await you. I am Impresario Webley. You see before you waxwork representations of the famous and the infamous. Anybody here play chess?" Webley inquired. The Doctor put his hand up, and so did Artie and Emily. "Perhaps you, young lady?" Webley invited Emily, who smiled and said "I'd be happy to play chess with you".

"Well then, follow me" Webley beckoned, guiding Emily over to a table with a chess board, and something covered in a satin cloth on the opposite seat. "Now, let demonstrate to you all the wonder of the age, the miracle of modernity. We defeated them all a thousand years ago, but now he's back, to destroy you. Behold, the enemy!" he announced grandly, pulling away the cloth to reveal a – "Cyberman! Get down!" the Doctor shouted, pulling Clara and Angie down. Romana darted forward to shield Emily, and the Corsair whipped out his blaster, pushing Flavia behind him.

Rather than attack them, however, the Cyberman just sat there inert. "No need to panic, my young friends" Webley assured them, tapping the Cyberman to show it was inactive, "We all know there are no more living Cybermen. What you are seeing is a miracle. The six hundred and ninety ninth wonder of the universe, as displayed before the Imperial court, and only here to destroy you… at chess" he winked at Emily. The Doctor pulled out his sonic and walked around the robot, investigating it.

"Careful now. An empty shell, and yet it moves. How?" Webley asked them, trying to be mysterious. "Magic" Angie said sarcastically, but Webley actually seemed to take her seriously. "That might well be, young lady, but a single penny wins you five Imperial shillings, if you can beat this empty shell at chess" he explained, offering the chance to all three children. Emily looked up at her mother and asked, "Can I still try?"

Angie scoffed; what a baby Emily was, asking her 'mummy' if she could play chess against a dumb robot. "Alright, but be careful" Romana acquiesced, making a mental note to keep a very close eye on the Cyberman and pull Emily away the second it seemed to be rebooting or about to attack. Emily rummaged in her pockets, found a penny, and handed it to Webley. "All right, take a seat. It is free of all devices, and yet it has never been beaten. Would you like to make the first move, my dear?"

Whilst Emily and the Cyberman played, Webley invited Angie and Artie to work out how the Cyberman moved. "I'll give a silver penny to whoever gets the closest" he promised, and Artie decided it wouldn't hurt to guess. "It's um…remote controlled?"

"Good guess"

"Maybe there's a little person in its head" Angie said sardonically; Webley clapped his hands together and pointed at her, acting very much like the Doctor. "You're very warm!" he prompted, just before Emily happily exclaimed, "Checkmate!" Webley did a double take and looked over the board. "Well! I'm very impressed, here are your winnings" he said grandly, 'summoning' some pretty silver coins into his hand (from his sleeve) and giving them to Emily.

"Well done, sweetheart" the Doctor praised her, before saying "Now let's see, eh? Low tech. It's a puppet. Monofilament strings, which means the brains are in…" he crouched down and opened a door in the Cybermans chair, revealing a small man squashed inside with a remote control box. "Hello" he sighed. Emily looked under the chair as well. "Hello" she greeted with a smile, before walking over to Angie and Artie. "I guess you were both kind of right" she figured, giving both of them one of her five silver pennies.

The Doctor helped the little man out of the box. "They call me Porridge" he introduced himself, before stretching, "Oh, it's good to be out of that box". Emily pocketed her three remaining coins and came up to shake Porridge's hand. "It's very nice to meet you, Mr Porridge. I'm Emily, this is my dad, the Doctor, my mum Romana, they're my godparents, the Corsair and Flavia, and this is Clara, Angie and Artie's nanny" she introduced them all. Porridge nodded at them, smiling. "Pleased to make your acquaintances" he greeted. The Doctor noticed a few metal bugs slithering about the floor.

Webley showed them to the other part of his exhibit, pulling the cloths off of two more Cybermen. "I have not one but three Cybermen in my collection" he announced, gesturing with pride at his 'The Great Enemy' Exhibit. The Doctor and Corsair checked that they were both inert, whilst the others looked around at the waxworks. Well, at least Clara and the children were – the Doctor warned his fellow pilots to keep an eye out for more 'little metal bugs'. Angie looked up at a waxwork of a tall man who seemed suspiciously familiar.

"Is that the King?" she asked Porridge, who replied, "Emperor. Ludens Nimrod Kendrick, etc., etc., the forty first. Defender of Humanity, Imperator of known space" he rattled off. Clara looked the figure up and down. "He looks a bit full of himself" she commented. Porridge warned her, "Don't say things like that about the Imperial family. You can end up on the run for the rest of your life".

"They don't sound very nice" said Artie. More to change the subject than anything else, Porridge cleared his throat and explained, "You know, If the kids want to ride the Spacey Zoomer, then I can operate the gravity console". They went back to the ride, but Angie hesitated, comparing the waxwork of the Emperor to the picture on her coin. "Angie!" Artie called, and she hurried to catch up with the others.

/

The three children had a brilliant time bouncing around in micro-gravity, laughing and shouting, even Angie. Clara snapped photos on her phone. "Smile! Say, Spacey Zoomer!" she laughed. Emily did a backwards somersault and grinned at Clara upside down. "Show off!" Angie laughed, and Emily's smile faded slightly. Porridge turned off the anti-gravity gradually, and they all floated back down. "I think that was the most fun I've had in my whole life" Artie smiled widely. "It was…okay" Angie shrugged. Emily glanced at her, and then said "Yeah, it was kind of fun…not as good as the real moon".

"Clara, I think outer space is actually very interesting" Artie told his nanny, who smiled, pleased. "Right. Wonderful day out, Doctor, but time to get the kids home" she prompted. The Doctor was scanning with his sonic, and for a moment she worried he wasn't listening, but then he answered "Yeah…Err, no. Not actually ready to leave". He winced at her narrowed eyes. "Why not?" she asked suspiciously.

"I don't know. Reasons".

"What reasons?"

"Insects. Funny insects. I should add them to my funny insect collection".

"You collect funny insects?"

"Yeah, I'm starting to, right now"

The Doctor wasn't making any sense, but then that was nothing new, so Clara went to someone who _did_ make sense. "Your husband doesn't want to leave and he won't tell me why" she informed Romana, arms folded across her chest. "He just doesn't want you to worry" the Time Lady tried to assure her, but Clara remained unassured. "Well, I _am _worried!"

"Okay, okay. Look, it's just that in our experience, enemies that have been defeated, 'never to return', well…"

"Usually come back when you guys show up. Flavia was right, I should've just put my foot down and refused to let them come" Clara sighed, rubbing her temples. Romana put an arm around her shoulders. "You couldn't have known what would happen – none of us could. I promise Clara, Angie and Artie will be kept safe. We look after Emily all the time; we can look after two more children" she said confidently.

A little while later, after Porridge and Webley had given them a short tour of some of the park, they moved the waxwork figures aside and made makeshift beds for the three kids in Webley's showroom. "Do you need anything? Glass of water?" the Doctor asked Emily, who was curled up on the bigger settee with Artie. "No, thank you" she replied, not adding 'daddy' like she usually did. "Are you sure? Do you want me to fetch your ted"-

"No! I mean, I'm fine dad. Honest!" She forced a smile. The Doctor glanced at Romana, who gently asked, "Emily, are you alright?"

"Of course, why wouldn't I be?" she replied, still with that forced smile. "How long do we have to stay here?" Angie huffed, trying to squash her pillow into a more comfortable shape. "Not long. Have a nap. I'll wake you when we're ready to leave" the Doctor replied. From over by the wall, the Corsair added "Besides, Flavia and I are staying to keep an eye on you, so if you need anything, just ask us".

Before he left, the Doctor warned the kids, "Don't wander off. Now, I'm not just saying don't wander off, I mean it. Otherwise you'll wander off and the next thing you know, somebody's going to have to start rescuing somebody".

"From what?" asked Angie, and the Doctor quickly replied, "Nothing. Nobody needs rescuing from anything. Don't wander off. Sweet dreams" he finished, nodding to the Corsair and Flavia, before walking away.


	25. Nightmare in Silver Pt 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who

Nightmare in Silver – Part Two

In his chess room, Webley took a long swig from his hip flask before picking up a stale sandwich. "Well, it's official. I'm out of bread. I wonder if these newcomers have anymore…still, a stale sandwich is better than no sandwich. Not as good as a fresh sandwich of course, or a chicken. Mmm, chicken" he said dreamily, thinking about all the delicious food his low rations didn't provide him. He got some food from the soldiers – and who knew where they got their supplies from – but the stuff they gave him was just so bland.

He finished his sandwich and leaned on the chess table, facing the Cyberman – which abruptly lurched forward and grabbed his arms, much to Webley's alarm. That's a bit odd" he said nervously, and then thought – maybe Porridge was playing a practical joke on him. "That's not funny. Give me my hands back" he insisted, struggling in the Cybermans death grip. A swarm of little silver bugs poured out of the Cyberman's eye sockets and crawled across to Webley, up his arms to his face. "Upgrade in process" the Cyberman intoned. Webley screamed.

The Corsair, Flavia and the children were only a few rooms away – but the room was soundproof, which was why they'd put the kids to sleep here. Angie wasn't interested in sleeping, however – rather in complaining. "I hate the future. It's stupid. There's not even phone service. I'm out of here" she huffed, getting off the settee she was lying on and heading for the door. The Corsair stepped in front of the exit, folding his arms and smirking down at her. "Going somewhere?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

Angie scowled at him. "I need the bathroom" she insisted, but the Corsair just pulled out his sonic and scanned her. "No you don't. According to my highly sensitive technologically advanced equipment, what you need is a reality check, young lady", he knelt down to look her right in the eye, "you are a strange planet in a strange time and we time travellers are your only ticket home, so I suggest you do as you're told" he instructed. Angie bristled, and her irritation was only increased when Artie reminded her, "Emily's dad said not to wander off".

"He said that, and then he wandered off" she retorted, even as she walked back to her settee and sat down. "He's a grown up, he can take care of himself. I'll take that", the Corsair scooped up her mobile, "now go to sleep". He walked over to put her phone on a high shelf; and whilst his back was turned, Angie slipped back out of bed and snuck out, breaking into a run when she was outside in the park. When the Corsair looked round and realised she was gone, he bit back a curse. "Flavia!"

The Time Lady started from her doze, scrambling out of the armchair she'd been sitting on. "What? What is it? Where's Angie?"

"She wandered off, big surprise! Stay with Emily and Artie, I'm going to find her" the Corsair insisted, storming out of the room. Flavia looked at Emily and Artie, and asked them "Did either of you see Angie leave?" Artie shook his head. "I had my eyes closed" he explained, so Flavia turned to Emily, who hesitated before replying, "Me too. I didn't see her go".

/

Meanwhile, Clara and Porridge were walking and discussing the planet they were on. "Was this really the biggest amusement park in the universe?" Clara asked curiously, and Porridge nodded. "Yeah, Hedgewick bought the planet cheap. It'd been trashed in the Cyberwars" he explained.

"Who were we fighting?"

"Cybermen. Technologically upgraded warriors. We couldn't win. Sometimes we fought to a draw, but then they'd upgrade themselves, fix their weaknesses and destroy us. It's hard to fight an enemy that uses your armies as spare parts".

"You beat them, though. Beat them or you wouldn't be here. How?"

"Look up there" said Porridge, pointing at a bit of space that was black and blank, "That corner of sky? What do you see?"

"Nothing" she replied, "It's just black. No stars, no nothing".

"It used to be the Tiberion Spiral Galaxy. A million star systems, a hundred million worlds, a billion trillion people. It's not there anymore. No more Tiberion Galaxy. No more Cybermen. It was effective" he sighed.

"It's horrible"

"Yeah, I feel like a monster sometimes"

"Why?"

"Because instead of mourning a billion trillion dead people, I just feel sorry for the poor blighter who had to press the button and blow it all up" Porridge admitted. Clara didn't really know what to say to that, but before she could try to reply, the Doctor came over and asked "Clara, did you tell Angie she could go to the barracks?"

"You know I didn't…she hasn't" said Clara, but deep down, she knew what the answer would be… "She just went in there, the Corsair's come after her" the Doctor confirmed. Clara sighed in exasperation. "Come on" she said, hurrying towards the barracks. Porridge, the Doctor and Romana followed her. When they got there, Angie was telling Captain Ferrin about Porridge. "Angie!" Clara exclaimed crossly, striding over to the girl, who glared at her in annoyance. "She always has to turn up and spoil everything. I wasn't _doing_ anything. Why can't you just leave me alone?" she snapped.

There was a sudden loud crash, and a Cyberman appeared, much to the soldier's alarm. The Corsair immediately aimed his blaster and prepared to fire, as Ferrin shouted "Cyberman! Attack formation!" The Cyberman moved in a blur, zipping past the inept platoon and heading straight for… "Angie!" cried Clara, running forwards, but the Cyberman was too fast for her. It zoomed over to Angie, who was screaming in terror, grabbed her and put her over its shoulder like a fireman, before speeding off.

"Angie!" Clara cried, running after her young charge. "Clara, Clara!" the Doctor called, pulling her back with Romana's help. Ferrin looked shaken. "That was a Cyberman, but they're extinct" she protested, or at least tried to. The Corsair rounded on her. "Clearly they aren't extinct, if one of them just turned up, now are they?" he asked scathingly. Ferrin nearly made a biting retort when Flavia came running in. She panted hard, trying to catch her breath, and the Doctor strode over to her. "What are you doing here? Where are Emily and Artie?"

There were tears in Flavia's eyes as she managed to say, "I'm sorry, I tried – it was too fast…"

"What happened?"

"A, a Cyberman. It t-took the children" Flavia explained. The Doctor's face darkened. He turned on his heel and walked up to Ferrin. "Captain, a word please. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but I take it your platoon doesn't do much fighting" he stated bluntly, and she sighed. "What do you expect? We're a punishment platoon. It's why they sent us out here, so we can't get into trouble".

"Okay then. As Imperial Consul, I'm putting Romana in charge" the Doctor decided, taking Ferrin's insignia from her uniform and pinning it onto Romana's lapel instead. She promptly took it off again and pinned it to Clara's shirt, much to the younger woman's surprise. "As the wife of the Imperial Consul, I'm putting you in charge" Romana told her with a smile, before turning back to the Doctor. "I'm coming with you to find our daughter" she insisted. He nodded, not bothering to argue.

"Clara, stay alive until we get back, and do not let anyone blow up this planet" the Doctor instructed his companion, who looked rather perturbed by the thought. "Is that something they're likely to do?" she asked. Rather than reply, the Doctor advised her "Get to somewhere defensible. We'll get the children back, we promise. Stay alive, and you lot, no blowing up the planet!" he added to Ferrin and her platoon, before hurrying to catch up with Romana.

/

Angie struggled in the Cyberman's grasp to no avail. "Put me down! I hate you!" she yelled furiously, her fists beating against the silver back of the robot. It put her down in a room she didn't recognise; Webley was there, with weird metal stuff covering on side of his face, and so were Emily and Artie. Both of them had blinking blue lights attached to the side of their faces. Artie's face was blank, and he wasn't moving, but Emily was twitching slightly. "Artie? Emily? What's happening?" Angie asked desperately.

"Please stand by. You will be upgraded" Artie stated in a monotone. His sister frowned in confusion; but then she looked up and saw Webley advancing on her. She screamed as the Cyberman grabbed her by the head, pinning her in place as Webley attached something to the side of her face. Angie found herself falling asleep, and she struggled to stay awake, but it was no good. Her face became emotionless and unresponsive, as Webley guided her to stand in line beside her brother.

The two human children were in a coma like state, but Emily was no human, and she was fighting against the Cyber-control with all her might, screaming out in her mind. _Help me! No! I won't be like you! Mummy! Daddy! Help me! Please help me! _

/

Back at the barracks, the first thing Clara did was order the platoon to gather all the weaponry they had that could stop a Cyberman. The Corsair stepped into orchestrate moving boxes of equipment out of storage – not that there was much to move. "That's the last of it, Clara" he informed her. "Okay. We need to find somewhere defensible. Where?" Clara asked Ferrin, who led her over to a small billboard that served as a map to the park. "There are three locations within walking distance - the beach, the Giant's Cauldron, and Natty Longshoe's Comical Castle".

Clara really wanted to prove she could manage this, being in charge – because she hadn't done a good enough job back on Earth and that was why they were in this mess. To her the only defensible place sounded like the castle. "Real castle? Drawbridge, moat?" she double checked. Ferrin nodded. "Yes, but comical" she confirmed…sort of. "We'll go there" Clara said decisively.

"Ma'am, my platoon can deal with one Cyberman, and there are protocols if we cannot immediately find and destroy it" Ferrin informed her stiffly. The captain's pride had been wounded the Doctor and Romana putting a mere civilian in charge, not that she'd say that to the 'Imperial Consuls' face. "Blowing up the planet protocols?" Clara guessed.

"Respectfully, ma'am…"

"Somewhere defensible. No blowing up the planet".

"She's your commanding officer now, isn't she, Captain?" asked Porridge. Ferrin was about to tell him that they were discussing matters of no concern to him…but instead she merely said "Yes…sir".

Clara went to talk to Flavia and the Corsair, and explain her plans to them. "We're going to move out – that's the phrase, right? – And head to a castle. Well, it's a comical castle, but the captain says it has a drawbridge and everything" she told them, before asking, "Will…will the Doctor and Romana be okay?" What she was really asking was 'Won't the Cyberman capture them too?'

"Oh, of course" the Corsair said confidently, "the Doctor's been fighting Cybermen since they first started causing trouble, and Romana's one of the sharpest knives in the drawer".

"He's right" Flavia admitted, "and besides, Cybermen can't upgrade Time Lords, so there's no danger of them being turned into Cybers…just as long as they keep their wits about them, they should be fine" she reassured Clara.

/

The Doctor and Romana went back to Webley's room, searching for any clue that would tell them where the children were. They'd heard Emily talking to them, but then she'd stopped and they dreaded to think why. "Over here!" Romana called, when she spotted a tiny silver Cyber-mite. "Firstly, if anyone's listening or watching us, one of those children you took? That's our daughter. We are coming for them all, and if you've harmed our little girl, God help you" the Doctor said threateningly. He sonicked the Cyber-mite into dormancy and picked it up on the tip of his finger.

"Not even a Cybermat any more, eh? Cyber-mites. Now, there's a local transmat link open to your home. If I can just find the frequency…" he fiddled with the sonic, and the next thing he and Romana knew they were in some kind of laboratory. "That really shouldn't have worked" the Doctor announced, half pleased and half surprised. The surprise swiftly turned to anger when he saw the children standing in a row, completely unresponsive. "Emily!" cried Romana, running over to her daughter and cupping her face in her hands.

"It's okay, baby, it's gonna be okay" she promised, hugging Emily tightly. "I…I…" She pulled back when Emily tried to speak. "Darling?" she asked, searching Emily's face for any sign of emotion.

"I…I…can't…stop…up…upgrade in process. Designation – Cyber-Planner". Romana's eyes widened in horror; she couldn't believe her ears. "No, no! Not my little girl, no!" she sobbed, embracing her daughter who just stood there. The Doctor stepped forward to shield his wife and the children from Cyber-Webley, who had just emerged from the shadows. "Release these children from Cyber-control. Now!" the Doctor demanded.

"That will not be allowed. We need children, but the children had stopped coming. You brought us children. Hail to you, the Doctor, saviour of the Cybermen!" Webley announced with all the flair of the real person. "I am _not _your saviour" the Doctor snarled, before asking, "How did you manage to turn Emily into your Cyber-Planner? Cybermen can't convert non-humans".

"That was true many years ago, but we've upgraded ourselves. Current Cyber-units use almost any living components. Your daughter's brain seemed perfect for our needs, but the Cyber-mites have been scanning your brains and they are infinitely more impressive. With two Cyber-Planners, the next model of Cybermen will be undefeatable".

"Nothing's undefeatable"

"We will be" Webley replied, before turning to Emily. "Transfer Cyber-Planner control to adult Time Lords" he ordered, and her hands immediately snapped up to grab Romana's face. Cyber-mites swarmed out of Emily's sleeves and onto Romana's face, who screamed as they dug themselves into her skin. "Let her go!" the Doctor roared furiously, but Webley tossed more Cyber-mites at him and he jerked, falling back against a table. Romana wrenched herself out of Emily's grasp, and the little girl slumped to the floor.

Both of them struggled desperately; the Doctor stood up straight, Cybernetic components fixed to the left side of his face. "Incorporated" he announced, "Yes, ah, unfamiliar pulmonary set-up, nervous system hyper-conductive, remarkable brain processing speed. Ho, ho. Amazing" – this was really the Cyber-Planner talking, and with a spasm, the real Doctor reasserted control. "Get out of our heads!" he yelled.

Romana confronted her half of the Cyber-Planner in her mindscape. "Let us go"

"Sorry, no can do".

"Then let my husband and the children go! You can have me instead!" Romana said desperately, not realising she was speaking aloud. The Doctor forced himself over to her and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Romana, no! You have to…argh!"

"Relax, relax. If you both just relax, you will find this a perfectly pleasant experience. You are being upgraded and incorporated into the Cyberiad as twin Cyberplanners. That's never happened before!"

"And it…never…will! Romana, listen to me! You have to regenerate!"

"Regenerate and destroy me, you mean? I don't think so"

"Oh, hello! Isn't this brilliant? We were already so clever, and now we're a million more times clever! What brains. Not human brains, not even close. I mean, we'll both have to completely rework the neural interface, but we are going to be the most efficient Cyberplanners. Not a great name that, is it? We could call ourselves Mr and Mrs Clever. So much raw data. Time Lords. There's information on the Time Lords in here. Oh, this is just dreamy"

"Ngh…he's right. If I regenerate, I'd burn out all the Cybernetic components inside and on me. I don't want to…I've gotten rather fond of this body…but I will" Romana threatened. She forced herself to take out her sonic screwdriver, and with enormous effort, she pressed the button to reverse the teleport and send herself back to Webley's waxwork exhibit, away from where her regeneration might harm the Doctor or the children. The sonic fell from her fingers and rolled away as Romana arched her back, screaming as regeneration energy poured through her.

When it was over, the first thing Romana realised was that 'Mrs Clever' was no longer in her brain. "Oh good, it worked – ooh, new voice. Sounds older. Now then, what to do?" she wondered, searching for her dropped sonic. "I can't go back to the Cyber-lab, Webley would just try to upgrade me again. The teleport will have burnt out by now, I'm probably lucky that I made it out, so I can't just zap the Doctor or Emily here. I'm going to have to meet up with Clara and the others" she decided, finding her sonic under a settee and striding purposefully out of the room.

/

The Doctor had felt Romana regenerate through their bond, and now that she seemed to be in control of her own brain, he turned his attention to getting rid of 'Mr Clever'. "I could do the same thing she did, you know. I could regenerate right now. A big blast of regeneration energy, burn out any little Cyberwidgets in my brain, along with everything you're connected to. Don't want to. You use this me up, who knows what we'll get next? But I can" he informed the Cyber-Planner in the Cyberiad.

"Stalemate, then. One of us needs to control this head. We're too well-balanced. We each control forty nine point eight eight one percent of this brain. Point two three eight of the brain is still in the balance. Whoever gets this gets the whole thing".

"Do you play chess?"

"The rules of chess are in my memory banks. You're proposing we play chess to end the stalemate?"

"Winner takes all. Nobody can access that portion of the brain without winning the game" the Doctor propositioned. They shook hands on it. "You can't win" the Cyber-Planner said confidently. "Try me" the Doctor replied just as confidently.

"You understand, when I do win, the Cyberiad gets your brains and memories. All of it"

"When _I _win, you get out of my head, you let the children go, and nobody dies. You got that? _Nobody dies_!"

/

In the show, we get advance warning when the Doctor is about to regenerate. We get time to prepare. Not here though – I'm throwing you guys in at the deep end! Mwuhahahahaha!


	26. Nightmare in Silver Pt 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who

Nightmare in Silver – Part Three

"You shouldn't have sent them out alone!" the Corsair snapped, and Ferrin threw him a glare that could melt lead. "For the last time, there wasn't enough of us to pair up whilst we're trying to deactivate a Cyberman" she insisted. He looked at her incredulously and argued, "The Cyberman can move faster than you. You should have told your platoon to secure the castle and guard it, not go after an enemy they're not capable of defending themselves against!"

Before Ferrin could come up with a retort, a scrawny ginger man with glasses approached Clara, who was standing within earshot, and hesitantly explained, "Err, ma'am, Missy said she saw something, and then she went quiet". The Corsair just gave Ferrin a look, and she sighed, lifting a radio to her mouth. "Come in everyone, report back to base immediately. I repeat, immediately".

Clara swallowed nervously. "It's on its way, then". She turned to the ginger 'soldier' and ordered, "Weapons, show me". He led her over to the supplies. "Only one gun?" she inquired; several guns capable of taking out Cybermen would have been preferable. "Cybermen have been extinct for a thousand years. Even one Anti-Cyber gun is a miracle" Ferrin defended the gun shortage, before holding up a device in her palm. "These things are hand-pulsars. Touch the back of a Cyberman's head, the electromagnetic pulse deactivates it" she explained.

Clara nodded in understanding, and then pointed to a black case. "What's this for? Just a mad guess here, it blows up the planet?"

"Implodes it" Ferrin corrected, "there's also a trigger unit", she held it up and Clara took it from her. "I'll have that, then. Is there any other way to activate the bomb?"

"It's set to respond to my voice. I have the verbal code".

"You will not activate it without a direct order from me".

"I will follow my orders" Ferrin stated bluntly. Clara looked her right in the eye and reminded her, "Your orders come from me, don't they?" Ferrin merely stared at her. The soldier stepped forward with a clipboard and held it out to Clara. "You'll need to sign for that trigger unit, ma'am" he explained. She smiled and took the clipboard, signing her name before handing it back. Porridge picked up a hand-pulsar and put it on. "Mind if I take one of these? Might be 'handy'" he joked. The Corsair chuckled, and Flavia rolled her eyes, but she smiled a bit.

"Help yourself" said Ferrin, "I'll teach you how to use it. Upstairs. Now".

/

Emily winced and stirred, opening her eyes slowly. Her vision swam, and she blinked hard until it cleared. She had a terrible headache. She was still in the Cyber-lab, Artie and Angie were still there and so was Cyber-Webley, and her father was sitting at the table. "Daddy!" she exclaimed; he looked round and she flinched in fright upon seeing the metal on his face. "No, it's okay" he said quickly, "It's okay sweetheart, don't be scared".

"What happened?" asked Emily, slowly getting to her feet and walking around to the side of the table. "You got turned into the Cyber-Planner, and then your mum and I got turned into Cyber-Planners, and now I'm playing chess against the Cyber-Planner trapped in my brain" the Doctor explained without looking up from the chess board. Emily frowned. "What…what about mummy?"

The Doctor bit his lip and looked at Emily. "She had to regenerate. I'm sorry" he apologised. Emily felt tears prick at her eyes; her mum had…died? "Now listen" the Doctor said with more urgency, "I can't put off making this move forever, and once I move my piece, the Cyber-Planner is going to come out. I'm still in here, I won't let him hurt you, but don't try to stop him. Don't even talk to him" he instructed. Emily sniffed and nodded.

"That's my girl…okay, here we go". He made his move, stiffened briefly, and then gave Emily a sinister smile – or rather, the Cyber-Planner did. "Nice to meet you, the name is Mr Clever. Your father and I are in the middle of a very important chess match, which _I _am going to win, so I suggest you sit down and _shut up_" he said darkly. Emily ran back to the corner and sat down, wrapping her arms around her knees and trying not to cry.

In the Cyberiad, the Doctor confronted the Cyber-Planner. "If you do anything to hurt my little girl…" he threatened. The Cyber-him scoffed. "Oh, I have no interest in harming your little brat, just so long as she minds her own business. I'm much more intrigued by you, Doctor. Tell me, why is there no record of you anywhere in the databanks of the Cyberiad?... Oh, you're good. Oh, you've been eliminating yourself from history. You know you could be reconstructed by the hole you've left…or by family photographs left lying around".

"Good point. I'll do something about that. It's your move, you know".

"The rules of chess allow only a finite number of moves, and I can use other Cyber-units as remote processors. You cannot possibly win".

"I can. I know things you don't. For example, did you know very early versions of the Cyber operating system could be seriously scrambled by exposure to things, like gold, or cleaning fluid? And what's interesting is, you're still running some of that code".

"Really. That's your secret weapon? Cleaning fluid?" the Cyber-Planner said incredulously. "Nope, gold" the Doctor said aloud, slappingthe golden ticket onto the Cybernetic implants on his face. The Cyber-Planner was immediately forced into dormancy, and the Doctor cheered as he jumped to his feet. "Oh ho, ho! Like a charm. Come on Emily, Cyber-Webley, the kids, move your feet. I'll bring the chessboard. Let's get out of here".

/

Clara came up the stairs to the battlements just in time to hear Porridge say "the communicators are out. The only way you can report this now is to activate the bomb". Ferrin replied in the affirmative. "And I forbid you to do that" Porridge warned her. Clara made it up the last few steps; Porridge and Ferrin turned to her. "I don't get it" she said, "Why would you blow up a whole planet and everybody on it just to get rid of _one_ Cyberman?"

"We tried other ways, but they only work sometimes, so now we take drastic action. And it works".

"If you find a Cyberman and you can't destroy it immediately, you implode the planet. I was sent here because I didn't follow orders. I can make up for that" Ferrin said determinedly, before picking up the planet imploding bomb. "Put it down" Clara ordered, "I forbid you".

"Yeah, what she said" Porridge added. Ferrin merely looked at him and said, "You ran away. I will do what I was brought up to do. Live for the Empire, fight for the Empire, die for the Em"-

"Hello! Corsair, Flavia! Can you tell them to let me in please!" an unfamiliar voice interrupted Ferrin. Bewildered, the three humans looked over the battlements and down to where a stranger, a tallish blonde woman, was standing on the other side of the moat. "Who are you?" Ferrin and Clara shouted at the same time. "It's me, Romana! How do I look?" she asked. Clara's eyes widened. "Look out!" she screamed; the blonde woman looked round to see a Cyberman aiming its gun arm at her.

Before the Cyberman could fire, its head was blasted off by a well-aimed shot from the Corsair, who had come up to the battlements upon hearing the woman's shouts. "Oh, thank you! Corsair, would you please tell Clara to let me in?" she asked, so he looked at Clara and said bluntly, "Tell them to let her in".

"But we don't know who she is".

"She's not a Cyberman. Trust me on this, Clara. She is who she says she is" the Corsair insisted. Clara nodded slowly and went to get the drawbridge lowered. "How do you know she's Romana?" Porridge asked curiously, standing on an upturned crate. "The five of us are telepathically linked; my mind is telling me she's Romana, and if I can't trust my own mind then who can I trust?" explained the Time Lord.

They went back to the courtyard, where Romana was looking about with a sort of detached interest. "Is there a mirror here?" she asked idly, examining the backs of her hands. "Hmm, lines. Lots of lines, my hands look like spider-webs. Flavia!" she exclaimed, hurrying over and hugging her fellow Time Lady, "you look great. Have you done something to your hair?"

"No…Romana, what happened to you? Why have you regenerated?" Flavia asked urgently. If the Cyberman managed to kill Romana with the Doctor there, then it was more dangerous than they'd anticipated. "Well, Emily was a Cyber-Planner, and then the Doctor and I were Cyber-Planners, and then I teleported myself back to Webley's hiding place and regenerated to get rid of the Cyber implants in my brain. Seriously, is there a mirror anywhere? I want to see what I look like!"

Flavia pointed towards the castle proper. "I saw a mirror in that room back there" she explained, and Romana walked off without a second thought. Clara looked at Flavia and the Corsair with her arms folded. "One of you, explain, right now. How can that be Romana?"

"We have the ability to 'cheat death' as it were by regenerating into a different body, if we're mortally wounded, or in Romana's case, trying to get a Cyberman out of her head" the Corsair elucidated. Flavia gave what she hoped was a reassuring smile and added, "Romana just needs some time to settle into her new body; in the meantime, we ought to get back to stopping this Cyberman".

"Yeah, you're right… if we just stay in the castle it'll pick us off one by one. We have to take it out" Clara decided. A stout man came up and cleared his throat. "Ma'am? The guys and I have come up with a plan" he informed Clara, who smiled. They were starting to get somewhere. "Let's hear it" she said encouragingly. Whilst the soldier explained his plan, Flavia and the Corsair slipped away to see how Romana was doing.

She stood in front of a full length mirror leaning against the wall, examining herself from every angle she could. "I look terrible. I've already counted twelve grey hairs" she complained, running a hand through her wavy, shoulder length blonde hair, her new dark blue eyes critically searching her rounded face for blemishes. "And I've put on weight!" she added, tugging at the sleeves of her blouse that now felt uncomfortably tight. "You don't look that fat" the Corsair informed her tactlessly, and she glared at him. "What? It's a good thing!"

An expression of frustration came over Romana's face. "Oh, this is _ridiculous. _My husband and daughter are out there, and I'm in here worrying about grey hairs! I'm being shallow. I have to go and help them!" she insisted, heading for the door with determined steps. Both Flavia and the Corsair stepped forward to stop her. "Romana, it's dangerous out there and you're vulnerable right now. You're still in the first sixteen hours of your regeneration cycle" the Corsair reminded her seriously.

Flavia guided her over to sit on the nearby throne, which was really just a bejewelled wooden chair. "The Corsair is right. You need to rest, and get some tannin in your system. I'll see if they have any tea" she offered, but Romana shook her head. "I'm fine…I can't go out there but that doesn't mean I can't help" she asserted. This time she tried to run for the door, but she stumbled and breathed out a cloud of regeneration energy, clutching at her chest.

The Corsair steered her back to the throne. "Stay here, we'll get you some tea" he instructed sternly. When they were gone, Romana buried her face in her hands. She looked up when the door opened, but it wasn't the Corsair or Flavia, but Captain Ferrin. She walked up to Romana and stood in front of her. "Your husband isn't the Imperial Consul, is he?" Ferrin asked straightforwardly. Romana shook her head. "No, but he _is _ - we are – the only people who can stop the Cybermen".

"I could stop the Cybermen" Ferrin replied, before adding, "You changed your entire body. The Cybermen made you do that, didn't they?"

"I regenerated by choice, captain; and no, this does not give you an excuse to blow up the planet".

"I have orders from the _real _Imperial Consul to eliminate Cyberman threats completely, and the only way to do that is to implode the planet. I would gladly die for the safety of the Empire" Ferrin announced, and Romana stood up, looking the human right in the eye. "I sacrificed myself and _only _myself, to help stop the Cybermen. You don't want to implode the planet because it will 'save the Empire'; you just want to be seen as a martyr instead of a disgrace, and yet you're willing to destroy innocent lives to further your own twisted sense of 'honour and duty'".

Romana stepped forward, right in Ferrin's personal space. "Look me in the eye, and tell me you would destroy this planet with my daughter still on it" she commanded. Ferrin met her gaze, but the sheer _age _and experience that shone out of Romana's eyes overwhelmed the human woman. She looked down, stepping back in defeat, before walking away out of the room. She passed Flavia, who was holding a flask of tea. She passed it to Romana, who sat back down and sipped.

She sighed and looked up at Flavia. "Do you think I went too far?" After all, the other Time Lady must have seen what happened. "No, I think she needed to hear that. They managed to destroy one Cybermen, but we're pretty sure that more are on the way" Flavia explained. Romana's lips curled into a smile. "That's okay, because guess what?"

"What?"

"The Doctor's coming too" she said, before taking a big gulp of tea.

/

A/N: This chapter was longer, but I decided to do a split before it got out of hand. The next chapter will turn up really soon, maybe even later today!


	27. Nightmare in Silver Pt 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who

A/N: This chapter is very long. Do you guys mind long chapters?

Nightmare in Silver – Part Four

When the Time Lords told her that the Doctor was coming, Clara told the soldiers to keep an eye out for him and the children, and lower the gate when they were close to the castle. She didn't know what to make of this 'new Romana', who hadn't spared her a second glance since she arrived except to ask what she could do to help. Flavia told her that post-regenerative trauma was normal, that Romana was bound to act a bit oddly during this time, but to Clara it felt like she was being snubbed by her 'honorary sister'.

It wasn't long before the Doctor arrived along with Webley and the children. "Argh! Don't shoot, don't shoot, I'm nice. Please, don't shoot" he begged, hiding behind his chessboard. "Doctor! Emily!" cried Romana, running forward into her husband's arms. He hugged her tightly, and then she knelt down to embrace and cuddle Emily. "I'm so glad you're alright. You look great! And you haven't let them blow up the planet, good work" the Doctor praised her. Romana shook her head and corrected, "Clara's the one who hasn't let them blow up the planet. I've just been worrying about you".

The Doctor smiled at her and then at Clara. "Did you get the kids?" she asked urgently, "Are they all right? What's going on?"

"Err, a bit of a good news, bad news, good news again thing going on. So, good news, I've kidnapped the Cyber-Planner and right now I'm sort of in control of the Cyberman".

"Bad news?"

"Bad news, the Cyber-Planner's in my head" the Doctor pointed to the implants with the golden ticket stuck to them, "And, different bad news, the kids are, well, it's complicated" he added awkwardly. Clara's eyes narrowed. "Complicated how?"

"Complicated as in…walking coma" he winced, stepping aside so she could see Angie and Artie standing behind him, blinking blue lights attached to their heads. Alarmed, she ran forward and tried to look them over. "Please tell me you can wake them up" she asked the Doctor.

"Hope so".

"Other good news?"

"Well, in other good news, there are a few more repaired and reactivated Cybermen on the way, and the Cyber-Planner's installing a patch for the gold thing. No, wait, that isn't good news, is it. Err, so, good news, I have a very good chance of winning my chess match".

"What?"

"I'll explain later, in a bit of a hurry. Get me to a table, and somebody tie me up! Need hands free for chess. And immobilise me, quickly" the Doctor instructed. They headed back inside the castle, but when Romana stepped forward Emily squirmed in her arms, and said "Put me down, I can manage". So Romana lowered her to the ground and asked her "How do you feel?"

"My head really hurts, and I'm thirsty. Can I have some water?"

"Of course you can, darling" Romana smiled. She had a cup of water poured out for Emily, and guided her to the steps leading up to the battlements. They sat side by side, as Emily sipped her water. "Feel better?" asked Romana, and she nodded. "Good…Angie upset you, didn't she? That's why you've been trying to act grown up" her mother deduced. Emily sighed and hung her head, putting the cup down beside her. "Angie thinks I'm a baby" she mumbled.

"Never mind what Angie thinks. You're not a baby, you're sixteen. You know that".

"But she doesn't! She thinks I'm a baby because I act like one. I still say 'mummy' and 'daddy', I still sleep with teddy bears and a nightlight…sometimes…I wish I wasn't a Time Lady. I just wanted to spend time with kids who were nearer the age I look like, so…so I wouldn't have to feel like such a…a f-freak" Emily explained, bursting into tears. Romana wrapped her arms around her daughter and cuddled her. "Oh, darling, you're not a freak. Please don't cry. Did Angie say something to you?"

Emily sniffled. "N-No…but it's true. I'm too different! When…when it's our birthdays, they invite their normal teenage friends and they…they don't always play with me. Their friends don't want a little girl bugging them and…and sometimes Liam and Joshua tell me to go away. Even Maria gets annoyed by me sometimes!" she revealed, her eyes filled with tears. Romana made a mental note to have a word with Donna about how her sons were treating Emily, and with Martha as well. Maria was such a sweet girl, Romana hated to think she'd ever willingly be mean to a good friend.

"Now you listen to me, young lady. You are not a freak. You are a wonderful, clever, kind girl and it doesn't matter what age you are, or act like. It doesn't matter if you call us mummy and daddy, and there's nothing wrong with sleeping with a nightlight or a teddy bear. Your father sleeps with a teddy bear, you know" she informed Emily, who stopped looking so distraught and looked curious instead. "He does?"

"Yes, me. Honestly, with the way he holds onto me when we're in bed you'd think he was part koala or something" Romana continued, and Emily giggled slightly at the joke. "There's that happy face. As for your friends, I get the feeling they're just afraid of what their other friends think. Teenagers are very silly like that. I promise we can work all this out. I'll talk to Angie and then to your friends, and"-

"No! I mean, won't that make it worse? Then they'll think I'm a snitch".

"A snitch? Oh, you mean like a tattle-tale. Honestly, the daft ideas you children get into your heads. Well, if you don't want me to talk to them, how are we going to fix this?"

"Um…maybe…I could talk to them? Tell them…tell them how I feel?"

"I think that would be the best idea. Of course, first we'll have to stop these Cybermen. Now, what should you do when they attack?"

"Stay hidden, do as I'm told, and if they get too close I can teleport myself into the TARDIS where they can't get me. I do this a lot, you know" Emily said loftily, and Romana's lips curled up in amusement. "Well, your mummy worries. I love you very much, you know" she told Emily, who wrapped her little arms around her and replied "I love you too mummy. Do you think daddy will stop the Cyber-Planner in his head? I think he will".

"I definitely think he will as well, darling" Romana replied with a smile, before suggesting that Emily finish the rest of her water to combat the headache she'd got from having the Cybermen in her mind. Once she'd drunk every last drop, they went to see what the situation was. The Corsair and Ha-Ha, the large soldier, happily showed off the newly dubbed 'Cyber-Blaster 3000' to a curious Emily. Clara came out of the castle and walked up to them. "Apparently there are more Cybermen on the way" she informed them, just when Ferrin appeared.

The captain looked pensive, like she'd been thinking a lot and come to an unpleasant confusion. She was carrying the planet imploding bomb, and without a word, she handed it to Clara and snapped into a salute. Clara nodded to her, and passed the bomb onto Porridge to hold. "There are more Cybermen com First good news of the day. Do it. ing" she told Ferrin. The bespectacled soldier, Brains, informed her "There's at least a dozen more shots left in the gun before it needs to recharge".

"We might have more than a dozen Cybermen to worry about. What's that cable?"

"Power line for the park" replied Porridge, and Clara had an idea. "If we unhooked that, and dropped it in the moat, anything that went in the water would get electrocuted. Can Cybermen fly?" she inquired, and everyone shook their heads. "No, ma'am" said Brains. Clara smiled in satisfaction. "First good news of the day. Do it" she ordered. Brains and Ha-Ha hurried away to take care of the cable, whilst Clara turned to Romana. The Time Lady spoke before she could, however. "Clara, listen. I'm sorry I was ignoring you earlier, I was just"-

"Worried about the Doctor and Emily, I understand. I'm sorry I doubted you…so, are we still honorary sisters?"

"If you don't mind having a sister who looks old enough to be your grandma, then yes".

"Oh, you don't look that old" Clara reassured her, but Romana didn't look entirely convinced. She looked at Ferrin, who cleared her throat. "I've thought about what you said…I still think this planet needs to be destroyed, but I hope we can work together to ensure the Cybermen threat is stopped without…without too many deaths" she told Romana, who slowly smiled and nodded in understanding. The two women shook hands, coming to a truce.

/

Whilst Emily chatted with Clara and Porridge, Romana went to see how her husband was getting on. "This has to be the longest chess game ever" she joked as she walked over to him; he looked up at her and smiled. "Hello, gorgeous" he said with a cheesy grin, "How are you feeling?"

"The cup of tea helped…so did having you and Emily back. Listen, we need to talk about Emily" she told the Doctor, who blinked and then said, "We'll talk about her later. First I need to check on a few things – Oi, Clara!" he yelled in the direction of the door. Romana raised an eyebrow, hands on her hips. "You know, I could have fetched her for you" she pointed out. The Doctor waved her off, and then Clara came in. "Hey! Clara, there you are. Now, quick rundown. What's our weapons strength?" he asked her.

"One big gun, five of those hand-pulser units and a shiny black bomb that implodes the planet".

"Yeah, yeah, that one. Now, tell me, does it happen possibly to have a remote triggery thing?" he inquired. Clara pulled the remote out of her pocket and held it up. "Brilliant. Pass it here" said the Doctor, reaching out for it, but Clara pulled it away. "No" she refused point blank.

"Why not?"

"In case you're not you right now. Or even if you are, just in case".

"Oh, don't worry. The Cyber-Planner's hibernating between moves right now. Shush" the Doctor pressed a finger to his lips. Clara opened her mouth, but then Romana held a hand up to stop her. "Doctor, Emily was very upset earlier. She's been feeling like a freak because of the way she ages" the Time Lady told the Doctor, who just looked at her and replied "I think we have bigger things to worry about, de-ow!" he cried as she promptly slapped him hard around the face. "Ow, ow! That hurt! How did you know it was him?"

"I knew it was him the moment he dismissed talking about Emily, because _you _would never do that" said Romana. The Doctor began to smile, but then his left arm abruptly shot forward and grabbed Clara's wrist. "Doctor, let go!" she cried out, trying to tug her arm free. "I can't! He's got control of the left arm!" the Doctor protested, trying to prise his left hand off of Clara with his right hand. Romana tried to help as well, but the Cyber-Planner managed to prise the trigger from both their fingers and smashed it on the table, breaking it to pieces.

"Doctor?" Clara asked hesitantly, as an expression of near-despair came over the Time Lord's face. "He got what he wanted. He destroyed the trigger. My move" he stated. Clara frowned slightly. "What do you mean, he got what he wanted?" she asked, and the Cyber-Planner grinned darkly at them. "He means, good news, boys and girls. They're here!" he cheered, spreading his arms out.

Romana and Clara immediately ran outside and up to the battlements, where the others were gazing out at an army of Cybermen stretching from their tomb to the moat. "So…weapons count?" asked the Corsair. Clara sighed. "One gun, five hand-pulsers and a planet smashing bomb that doesn't work anymore" she rattled off. "Why not?" asked Brains.

"Broken trigger unit"

"…But you signed for that".

"We can still activate the bomb, as a last resort" Ferrin reminded them, as one of the Cybermen approached the moat. It waded in, and immediately began to be electrocuted. They all cheered – but their delight was short lived as the Cyberman began to upgrade itself and recover. "Damn – who's our best shot? Apart from the Corsair, I mean" asked Clara. Ha-Ha raised his hand. "Probably it's me" he said. The Cybermen were advancing, and the first one was already blasting its way through the wooden drawbridge.

"Shoot any of them who make it across" Clara ordered Ha-Ha, who moved as fast as he could down the steps to the courtyard and the big gun. "The rest of you, take defensive positions. Flavia, Porridge?"

"Yes?"

"Keep Emily safe" Clara instructed; Romana gave her a grateful look. Ferrin cleared her throat and barked, "You heard her! Let's move it, people!" They all hurried downstairs to face the Cybermen, leaving Romana, Flavia, Emily and Porridge up on the battlements. "Come on, we need to get inside the castle" Romana insisted, taking Emily's hand and hurrying down the stairs with her. Flavia quickly followed, as did Porridge – but he paused and went back to grab the planet exploding bomb. "No matter what, those Cybers need to be destroyed" he told himself.

They reached the courtyard just as the first Cyberman was atomised by the Cyber-Blaster 3000. More came right on its heels, firing blasts at the soldiers and the ones trying to get into the castle. Several Cyber-men fired at Romana and Emily, who swiftly retreated back to the stairwell. "We can't go out there! We'll be killed!" Flavia protested. Then Ferrin appeared, wielding a revolver. "Go on! I'll cover you" she urged them, moving forward and firing at the Cybermen, drawing their attention away from the four 'civilians'. Romana nodded to her in thanks.

They made a break for it, Romana keeping Emily between the castle and herself, shielded from the Cybermen. She reached the castle door and looked over just in time to see Ferrin be killed by a Cyberman. "Thank you" she whispered, pulling the door open and hurrying everyone inside. Angie and Artie had collapsed to the floor, but Angie was waking up. "Angie, look out!" cried Emily, pointing to where Cyber-Webley was advancing on them. "Welcome to Webley's World of Wonders, children. Now presenting delights, delicacies…and death" he announced.

Angie screamed in fright, but then a golden ball of energy flew past her and struck Webley, sending him crumpling to the floor. She looked back with wide eyes at Romana, whose outstretched hand was glowing. "Leftover regeneration energy" she explained, "look after your brother, okay?" Angie swallowed and nodded, moving to try and wake Artie up. Emily came over to help her, and the Doctor began to taunt the Cyber-Planner in his mind.

"Your move" he challenged, "But before you take it, just so you know - Sacrificing my queen was the best possible move I could have made. The Time Lords invented chess. It's our game. And if you don't avoid my trap, it gives me mate in three moves".

"How?"

Outside, only Clara, Brains, Ha-Ha and the Corsair were still alive. "I'm out of charge" Ha-Ha realised in dismay, and wondered if he could use the gun to bludgeon the Cybermen. Clara had a similar idea, grabbing a nearby mace in desperation. The Corsair kept shooting at any Cyberman who even started to raise its arm, but he only had so many shots and there were too many of the damn things, he was getting overwhelmed.

"How?"

"Oh, come on. Call yourself a chess playing robot?" the Doctor scoffed, simultaneously sending a telepathic message to Romana. Get me a pulsar!

"How!"

"You figure it out. Or don't you have the processing power, hmm?"

The last line of defence was pinned against the wall, the Cybermen advancing on them with metal hands outstretched. "Please stand by" the Cyberman reaching out for Clara, "You will be upgraded. Welcome to the Cyberiad. You will be upgraded. Welcome to the Cyberiad. You will be upgraded". To their relief, and confusion, the Cybermen suddenly all slowed down and stopped.

"What are you doing?"

"Doctor. Doctor, Doctor, Doctor, Doctor, Doctor, Doctor, Doctor. I'm pulling in extra processing power. Three million Cyber brains are working on one tiny chess problem. How long do you think it's going to take us to solve it?"

"That's cheating".

"No, no, no, no, no; just pulling in the local resources".

Clara, the Corsair and the soldiers managed to get inside the castle. Romana marched over to Brains and pulled the hand-pulsar from his palm, putting it on her own before walking over to the Doctor.

"There's no way you can get to mate in three moves".

"Three moves. Want to know what they are?"

"You're lying"

Romana pulled out her sonic screwdriver. "Move one, get wife to fetch pulsar" the Doctor said aloud with a grin, "move two, get wife to amplify pulsar", Romana aimed the sonic at the pulsar and increased its power. "Move three, see you!" the Doctor cheered as Romana pressed the pulsar to the implants on the side of his head.

"That's cheating!" the Cyber-Planner cried as he was destroyed. Romana took her hand away from the Doctor's cheek as his head slumped forward, fearing she'd hurt him – but then he promptly sat up and beamed at her. "Just taking advantage of the local resources. Ah, hello, dearest. Can you untie me, please?" he inquired. Just to be on the safe side, Romana asked him "Do you care that Emily was upset?"

"Of course I do, I love her, why would you ask that?"

"Just double checking" she said as she untied him, "What happened to the Cyber-Planner?"

"Out of my head and redistributed across three million Cybermen right now, and about to wake them all up, kill us and start constructing a spaceship. We need to destroy this planet before they can get off it" the Doctor explained, heading over to the bomb. He looked it over and deduced, "Okay, it has a fall-back voice activation".

"The captain" said Ha-Ha, "but she's dead".

"I think you should ask Porridge" Angie suggested, pointing over to the small man. "Why?" asked Clara, and Angie shrugged. "Well, he is the Emperor. I bet he knows the activation codes. Oh, come on" she rolled her eyes, "It's obvious! He looks exactly like he does on the coin, and on the waxwork, except they made him a bit taller, but look, am I the only one paying attention to anything around here?"

Clara smiled. "You are full of surprises" she told Angie, before turning to the Emperor. "Porridge?"

"She's right".

"So you can save us?"

"We all die in the end. Does it matter how?"

"Probably not, but I'd rather die saving lives if it's all the same to you" said the Corsair. Porridge sighed. "I don't want to be Emperor. If I activate that bomb, it's all over" he said. All the freedom he'd enjoyed when he ran away, it would be gone. "And if you don't, three million Cybermen will spread across the galaxy. Isn't that worth dying for?" asked the Doctor, even though he'd rather none of them died and especially not his family.

"Doctor"-

"Three million Cybermen!"

"The bomb, the throne, it's all connected. I just have to say 'this is Emperor Ludens Nimrod Kendrick, called Longstaff the forty first, the Defender of Humanity, Imperator of known space. Activate the Desolator'. And it's done". The bomb was armed, and began to count down. "It'll blow in about eighty seconds. Easily long enough for the Imperial Flagship to locate me from my identification, warp jump into orbit, and transmat us to the State Room" Porridge finished, and they all found themselves standing in the state room of the spaceship.

"Oh yeah, nice ship" the Doctor nodded, before adding "Bit big, not blue enough. Listen, there is a large blue box at coordinates six ultra nineteen P. I need it transmatted up here right away" he told Porridge quickly. "Right – did you get that?" the Emperor asked one of his officers, who nodded and worked her console. The TARDIS appeared in a beam of light. "And that's that" said Porridge. He counted, "Seventy six, seventy seven, seventy eight, seventy nine"- the planet exploded, nearly knocking them all off their feet with the aftershocks.

"Farewell, Cyberiad. You know, it was good to get away. Good to be a person and not to be lonely, or Emperor of a thousand galaxies with everyone waiting for me to tell them what to do".

"Can't you run away again?" asked Artie. Porridge smiled ruefully and told him, "They'll be keeping a close eye on me this time. That's what happens when you're Emperor. Loneliest job in the universe" he sighed. Clara looked at him sympathetically, and said "You don't have to be lonely". Porridge smiled at her. "I don't. Clara, will you marry me?" he asked her.

"What?"

"He said"-

"She heard what he said!"

"You're smart and you're beautiful, and I've never met anyone like you before. And being Emperor won't be as hard if you're by my side. And you'd rule a thousand galaxies" Porridge explained to Clara, holding her hand in his. The Doctor stepped up beside her. "This sounds like an actual marriage proposal. Tricky. Now, if you want my advice"-

"You, not one word" she warned him, shooing him away, "This is between me and the Emperor. Porridge…I don't want to rule a thousand galaxies" she admitted. She was flattered of course, but being an Empress just wasn't her cup of tea. Porridge nodded and let go of her hand. "Yeah, silly of me" he admitted. "I'm sorry" Clara told him apologetically. "But that's stupid" Angie protested, "You could be Queen of the universe. How can you say no to that? When someone asks you if you want to be Queen of the universe, you say yes. You watch. One day, I'll be Queen of the universe" she said smugly.

"Of course, I could have you all executed, which is what a proper Emperor would do" Porridge commented, sounding as if he might be considering it. The Doctor looked at him nervously. "You're not actually going to do that, though, are you?" he asked. Porridge just gave him a look. "Oh, you're…Hey!" he said indignantly. Porridge smiled and jerked a thumb at their TARDIS. "Go on; get out of here, all of you, before I change my mind" he warned them. The Time Lords, Clara, Angie and Artie all entered the TARDIS, which dematerialised in front of the amazed soldiers. "That was cool" muttered Brains.


	28. Reconciliation

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who

Reconciliation

"Thank you for having me. It was very interesting" said Artie with a smile as he shook the Doctor's hand. "My pleasure. Thank you for coming. Now, Angie. I think you owe my daughter an apology". Angie gave him an indignant glare and protested, "I never said anything to her!"

"You didn't need to" Emily put in, "I'm not stupid. I could tell you thought I was being a baby. Maybe you're right, but I don't care. It doesn't matter what my real age is, or how old I act like. I've got all the time in the universe to grow up and I don't need to grow up faster for anybody. Um…so there" she finished her little speech with some uncertainty. Angie stared at her, and then…she smiled. She looked _impressed._ "Maybe you're not as much of a baby as I thought" she commented, before adding "Sorry if I upset you".

"That's okay" Emily accepted the less than heartfelt apology with good grace, shaking Angie's hand. "Well, I'm glad you too made up" said Clara, "but your still in big trouble, Angela Maitland" she added warningly. Angie just rolled her eyes in annoyance. "You're not my mum, you can't punish me. What are you going to tell my dad, that we went in a time machine to a planet where I wandered off and got caught by freaky silver robots? He'd never believe you" she retorted. Clara sighed; her young charge had a point, this would be very hard to explain to Mr Maitland.

"True, but she _can _tell your father that you went with us on a trip and wandered off unsupervised" Romana pointed out. The 'details free' version of the story would hopefully be enough to convince their dad to at the very least ground Angie for a while. The girl opened her mouth, and shut it again when she couldn't think of a good comeback. "Come on, you two. You're probably hungry, I'll fix you some cheese on toast or something" Clara offered. Artie and Angie both pulled faces. "Err, that's okay, Clara. We're not hungry. Bye Emily, bye everyone" Artie waved as he walked to the door.

"Yeah, bye!" added Angie, following him. Emily waved after them. "Bye guys! It was nice meeting you!" she called. Clara turned to the Doctor and smiled. "Thank you" she said simply. He looked at her in confusion. "For what?"

"Kid's day out. Getting us off the planet alive. Whatever you were doing with the Cybermen. Good night. See you next Wednesday" she finished, heading for the door. "Well, a Wednesday, definitely" the Doctor called after her, "Next Wednesday, last Wednesday" he shrugged. Clara shook her head at him as she left, closing the door behind her. The Doctor clapped his hands and spun around, giving Romana a kiss on the cheek as he moved past her to his side of the console. She blushed slightly, much to his delight. "Right then, where to?" he inquired.

"To Donna's; I need to have a word with her about her twins" Romana replied, and Emily looked up at them in alarm. "Aww, but you can't! They'll get in trouble, and then they'll stop being my friends. Besides, you said _I _could talk to them" she insisted, folding her little arms and looking as stubborn as she possibly could. "I don't think they'll stop being your friends, darling…but if you want to talk to them, then that's fine" her mother decided. She'd still talk to Donna, just…not in Emily's earshot.

They landed in Donna's back garden, and the ginger came outside to greet them. "I saw you from the window. Hello, Doctor" she greeted, giving her spaceman friend a hug, and turning to the blonde woman beside her. "Who's this?" she inquired, not recognising Romana – the Time Lady just smiled in amusement and explained "It's me, Donna. Romana; I had to regenerate. We were having some issues with Cybermen".

"You guys just can't stay out of trouble, can you?" Donna shook her head in disbelief, inviting them inside her home. "Shaun's out at work" she explained her husband's absence – she herself worked from home. "Are Liam and Joshua here?" asked Emily, "There's um, something I wanna ask them". Donna nodded and went to the bottom of the stairs. "Hang on, I'll get them. Boys! Emily's here, come and say hello!" she yelled up the stairs with her trademark volume. The Doctor winced slightly. _ I wonder how loud your yell is now _he told Romana.

_I don't think this me is the yelling type, actually _she replied. Then again, she had only just regenerated. There was still so much she didn't know about herself now. Romana told herself sternly to focus – this was about Emily, not about her. "Liam! Joshua! Are you two listening to me?!" Donna shouted again. Two teenage boys appeared at the top of the stairs, dressed in jeans and baggy football t-shirts. "Yeah, mum, the neighbours can hear you" grumbled Liam. Donna gave the boys her best mum glare. "That's enough of your cheek, young man. Emily wants to talk to you" she told them.

"What about?" asked Joshua; Emily squirmed uncomfortably. Suddenly she wasn't so sure about this. Romana noticed her discomfort, and gently suggested "Why don't you talk to them in the kitchen? We grown-ups will stay out the way, I promise". Emily nodded and beckoned the teenagers into the kitchen, where Liam headed straight for the fridge. "Who was that?" he asked as he tossed a Pepsi to Joshua and opened one for himself. "My mum, she regenerated. Can I have one?" asked Emily, sitting at the table. Liam slid a can across the table top to her. "So what's up?" he asked.

The young Time Lady took a deep breath, and asked a question she was dreading the answer to. "Are we still friends?" Liam and Joshua glanced at each other in mild surprise. "Yeah, course we are" said Liam, and his brother added, "What makes you think we're not?"

"Because…because you don't let me play with you and your friends when I come round, and you haven't invited me to your birthday parties in ages, and you never stand up for me when your friends call me names like pint size and short-stack. I'm sixteen, guys! I'm just a few months younger than you; just because I don't look my age and I'm smaller than you doesn't mean you have to pick on me!" Emily ranted. It felt good to get this off her chest…she'd been bottling it up, not wanting to upset anyone, but that had just made _her _upset.

The twins looked sheepish, rubbing the backs of their necks. "Hey, um…we didn't mean to make you feel bad, Em" Liam told her. Joshua nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it's just…we're teenagers, and you're – I mean, you're a teenager as well, technically, but you don't…" he trailed off awkwardly. Emily sighed and fiddled with the tag on her Pepsi. "I don't act like a teenager, I know. I annoy you guys, don't I?"

"No – well, maybe a little bit. It's really our friends who don't – they don't get why you want to hang out with us. That's another thing – teenagers don't 'play' with friends, they hang out with them. And we haven't had a 'birthday party' since we were thirteen, we just go out late, when kids aren't really meant to be around. No offence, but you are still a kid" Liam explained. Emily slurped at her soft drink. "It's hard, aging differently" she commented, "Chronologically I'm sixteen Earth years old, but physically and mentally I'm still just nine or ten".

"See, that's the thing!" Joshua exclaimed suddenly, "you're really smart, yeah? But you don't say any smart stuff when you're near our friends, you just keep asking if you can join in and well, _they _don't know you're not human, and we tried to tell our mates you were actually really clever and not as young as you seemed, but they never believe us, because to them, you're just a little girl who keeps trying to tag along when we're doing guy stuff".

"I guess that makes sense, but how come you don't stand up for me? I don't say smart things around your friends because I'm trying to blend in, and I thought…I thought you guys knew that and you'd stick up for me anyway".

"We did, but...the thing is, our friends think we're kind of weird. We used to talk about space and aliens and stuff all the time, stuff we picked up from you and your folks…mostly your dad…and people bullied us for it. We got into loads of fights, and mum was pretty much always cross. If word got out we were hanging out with a little girl that everyone thought was half our age…we'd be a laughingstock" explained Joshua. Emily frowned. "I'm sorry you were bullied…but um, don't you think if your friends would laugh at you for…for hanging out with me, then maybe they're not really your friends?"

"But they're the only friends we've got" Liam pointed out. Emily gave them a small smile and answered, "I'm your friend, too. We've been friends since we were toddlers, you guys; I don't want to stop being friends with you just because I age differently. Tell you what…if I promise to try and act more teenager-y when I'm with you and your friends, will you promise to tell them off if they try to pick on me?"

Joshua and Liam looked at one another, and then grinned. "Sure, if you think you can pull it off" said the freckled twin. "Yeah, we'll even give you some tips if you want" offered Liam, but Emily just shrugged and gulped some more Pepsi. "No thanks. I'm not really in a hurry to grow up anymore…it'll happen when it happens. Besides, I do remember what you say when you're with your friends. I think I can manage" she giggled. Her friends grinned at her.

They went back to the living room to face the music. "There you are, now you listen here-" Donna began, clearly set on going on a tirade. "Wait! Don't be mad at them, Aunt Donna. They just didn't want to be laughed at" Emily explained quickly. Liam and Joshua shared a glance; Emily was sticking up for them, the way that they should have stuck up for her. The guilt made their insides curl up, even as the confused look on their mum's face made them want to snicker. "Emily, what are you talking about?"

"My mum was right; they were worried about what people thought. People might have laughed at them if they thought Liam and Josh were hanging out with a little girl. We worked everything out, honest. You don't need to ground them or anything" explained Emily, looking pleadingly up at Donna. Then much to her surprise, Liam and Joshua stepped up to either side of her. "Hey, Em, don't worry about us. We can handle being grounded for a while" Joshua said with a shrug. "Yeah, we were being jerks to you, and, well…we're sorry we didn't twig sooner that it was bothering you".

"We're sorry as well" said the Doctor; he and Romana sat holding hands on the settee, the Corsair leaning over the back of it. "We're sorry we didn't realise you were upset. Why didn't you ever tell us?" he asked. From the sound of it, she'd been feeling this way for years and she'd never even hinted her aging process upset her, not once. Emily shrugged slightly. "Because most of the time, I wasn't upset. I only thought about it on our birthdays, when we'd meet up and my friends would look older…I didn't say anything because I didn't want anyone to get in trouble, or worry anyone" she clarified.

"The important thing is we know now, and we can help you"- Romana yawned widely – "to cope with it" she finished with a smile at Emily. The Doctor wanted to pick her up and hug her, but she wanted to be more grown up…the thought of his little girl growing up made his hearts ache. "I'll talk to her about it all, you need to rest. You're exhausted" he told his wife, who made no protest, a testament to just how tired she really was.

They returned to the TARDIS, where Romana went to the Zero Room to fully recover from her regeneration. In the meantime, the Doctor went with Emily to her bedroom, where they lay side by side on the bed gazing up at the holographic stars and moon. "I wish you'd told us how you felt" he murmured at long last, turning his head to look at her. "We would have understood…I would have understood better than anyone" he added. Emily looked at him curiously.

"You know how I travel with humans?" he asked, and she nodded. "Well, a lot of them left, or were left behind, because they found a life of their own; and that's good, that's how it should be. I don't go back for my companions, even though I could turn up just five minutes after they or I left…because they grow old, and I don't. At least not at the same rate…I know it hurts, sweetheart" he sighed, and she cuddled against him, resting her head on his chest. "I'm also upset…because they're going to die, one day".

The Doctor stroked her soft blonde hair, humming comfortingly. "I'm afraid so…I wish I could make this better, I really do. I could turn you human, but it would hurt and you wouldn't remember all the wonderful things you've seen and done. You just have to remember, sweetheart that your mum and I will always be here, in your hearts", he touched her chest, "We won't let you be alone. Your godparents won't let you be alone, and as a last resort, there's your Uncle Jack. We can't change how you age, who you are…but we'll always be here to help you through it".

Emily sat up and smiled at her father. "I know, daddy. I feel a lot better now, thank you. I think I'll phone Maria, can I use the video phone?" she asked, and he nodded as he got up off the bed. "You do that – I'm going to check on your mother" he informed Emily, leaning down to give her a kiss on the cheek (which she wiped off, sticking her tongue out), and left her to her own devices.

He found his way to the wardrobe, which refused to open when he pulled on the door handle. "Hint received, old girl" he sighed, settling down in the chair the TARDIS helpfully materialised for him. He waited ten, fifteen, twenty minutes before she emerged at long last. Gone were the grey trousers and scarf of her previous incarnation – now she dressed in cream, tan and white. To be more specific, tan canvas trousers with brown ankle boots, a white blouse with wavy frills at the throat, and a cream and tan jacket that fitted snugly around her frame.

The Doctor seemed to realise he was staring at her and reminded himself to blink. "You…you look…amazing" he murmured. She really did; she looked mature and yet motherly. Romana smiled in spite of herself. "It doesn't bother you that I'm old now?" she asked quietly. He cupped her face in his hands and gave her a kiss. "You're not old…to me, you're as radiant as ever, with your gold and silver hair, and your laugh lines…this body hasn't even laughed yet. I wonder, are you still ticklish…?"

Her eyes widened and she tried to pull away, but he tickled her neck and she couldn't help giggling. "S-s-stop it! Theta, stop!" she protested, trying to push his fingers away. He relented and beamed at her. "I love your laugh" he told her, wrapping his arms around her, "I love your outfit, and I love…you" he finished in a whisper against her lips before he kissed her again. _I love you too, my Theta._


	29. The Name of the Doctor Pt 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who

The Name of the Doctor – Part One

A man sitting in a Victorian cell, a serial murderer by the name of DeMarco, began to chant, seemingly to himself. "Do you hear the Whisper Men? The Whisper Men are near. If you hear the Whisper Men, then turn away your ear. Do not hear the Whisper men, whatever else you do. For once you've heard the Whisper Men, they'll stop and look at you"; With these last words, he turned to face Madam Vastra, whom he'd called to give some very…interesting…information. "One word from you could save me from the rope" he told the Silurian detective.

She regarded him without mercy and replied, "Then you may rely on my silence". The man before her didn't deserve to live. DeMarco then continued, "I have information. Valuable information", trying to persuade her to change her mind, but Vastra wouldn't be so easily swayed. "Are you bargaining for your life?" she asked incredulously, "You have the blood of fourteen women on your hands. There are no words you can speak that will save your neck". With that, Vastra turned to leave, but then DeMarco said one single word, "Doctor".

Vastra paused, and DeMarco smiled sinisterly. "Ah, yes. I know all about him, your dangerous friend".

"How?"

"In the babble of the world, there are whispers, if you know how to listen. The Doctor has a secret, you know".

"He has many".

"He has one he will take to the grave. And it is discovered. Well?" DeMarco grinned at Vastra. She hesitated, because she didn't trust DeMarco at all, but if this information would affect the Doctor, and his family in turn…she couldn't stand back and let it happen. With much trepidation, she asked DeMarco what he meant, and he gave her co-ordinates to another planet, one which he refused to name.

/

"We can't let that terrible man live!" Jenny protested when Vastra returned home and described what DeMarco had told her. "He lives till I understand what he told me. We're going to need a conference call. I'll send out the invitations, you fetch the candles" Vastra instructed. Jenny nodded obediently. "Yes, ma'am" she replied, walking out of the room. She thought she heard someone whispering, but dismissed it; it was probably just her imagination playing tricks on her. "Where's Strax got to?" her wife inquired.

"The usual, it's his weekend off" Jenny reminded Vastra, as she came back carrying some candles. Vastra rolled her eyes. "I wish he'd never discovered that place" she sighed.

/

"Sontar-Ha! Sontar-Ha!" Strax chanted proudly as he and his sparring partner went crashing through the window of a bar. They got to their feet and turned to each other, glaring. "Come here while I kill ye, ya filthy wee midden!" the man, Archie, yelled at Strax. The Sontaron gave as good as he got, hefting a large shovel and shouting "Prepare to die in agony for the glory of the Sontaran Empire!"

Just before Strax and Archie could start bludgeoning each other, a messenger boy came in. "Excuse me, Mister Strax?" Strax stopped and huffed in annoyance. "What is it, girl? Can't you see I'm trying to crush the brains of this stinking primitive? Sorry about this" he added to Archie, who shrugged. "No problem".

"It's a telegram, sir. Very urgent" the boy explained, handing Strax a letter. The Sontaron read it and sighed; duty called, he supposed. "Conference call" he scoffed, turning to Archie, "Sorry, Archie. I'm going to have to ask you to render me unconscious" he informed the Scotsman. "Fine" replied Archie, lifting his big mallet. Strax offered him the shovel instead. "Better use this, it might take a while". Archie took a big swing at Strax's head, and the Sontaron dropped to the ground, out cold.

/

Vastra and Jenny settled themselves into high backed chairs set around a six sided table. "Sleep well, my love" Vastra smiled at Jenny, who smiled tenderly back at her. "You too". They closed their eyes and let the soporific candles send them into a dream state…when they opened their eyes, they were still sitting at the table, but the décor had changed. "Oh, I like the new desktop" Jenny commented appreciatively.

"I was getting a little bored of the Taj Mahal. The tea should be superb. It's drawn from one of my favourite memories. Strax, good of you to join us" Vastra greeted the Sontaron, who had just blinked into existence. "It had better be important. I was in the middle of destroying some very pleasant primitives" he complained.

"I apologise for the interruption, but there is urgent news concerning the Doctor".

"Who else is coming?"

"The women".

/

Angie and Artie sat at the kitchen table, doing their homework, whilst their nanny busied herself preparing to cook something. Angie realised what she was doing and groaned slightly. "Oh, no. You're going to try and make a soufflé again, aren't you?" she asked Clara, who nodded. "My mum's soufflé, yeah. Although this time I'll get it right. This time I will be Soufflé Girl" she said confidently. Just because she'd got it wrong all the other times, didn't mean she was _always _going to get it wrong. This time, she would get it just_ right_.

"How can it be your mum's soufflé if you're making it?" asked Artie; after all, if Clara made the soufflé, then it would be her soufflé wouldn't it? Clara smiled at him and replied, "Because, Artie, it's like my mum always said. The soufflé isn't the soufflé, the soufflé is the recipe". A snarky comment flitted through Angie's mind about her nanny's mum being 'deep on puddings', but she managed not to say it. Instead she asked, with just a hint of a scoff, "What does that even mean?"

Clara's expression became thoughtful. "She never really got a chance to explain. She said I'd understand it one day". Her mind was taken off her departed parent when she noticed a yellowed envelope. The writing was written in fancy cursive script, and it had a wax seal. There were instructions – Open When Alone. "What's this?" she asked. Angie explained, "Oh, it arrived today. It's for you", before going back to her homework.

After another not so brilliant attempt at recapturing her mother's soufflé – Angie didn't know why she refused to use an actual recipe – Clara went to her room to read the mysterious letter. She managed to break the wax seal, and pulled out a single sheet of paper, reading the following words –

_My dearest Clara. The Doctor entrusted me with your contact details in the event of an emergency, and I fear one has now arisen. Assuming this letter will have reached you as planned, on April the tenth, 2013, please find and light the enclosed candle. It will release a soporific which will induce a trance state, enabling direct communication across the years. However, as I realise you have no reason to trust this letter, I have taken the liberty of embedding the same soporific into the fabric of the paper you are now holding. Speak soon, _

This was as far as Clara got, before the soporific took hold and she found herself sitting in a chair around a five sided table, along with the three people she'd met briefly when she and the Time Lords ended up in Victorian Yorkshire. "So glad you could make it" the lizard woman smiled – Madam Vastra, that was it. "Where am I?" she asked nervously. Jenny smiled and assured her, "Exactly where you were, but sleeping".

"Time travel has always been possible in dreams. We are awaiting only two more participants" explained Vastra, and Strax groaned. "Oh, no. Not the ones with the gigantic heads?"

"It's hair, Strax" Jenny corrected him with a roll of her eyes. "Hair" he repeated with distaste. The fifth and sixth participants appeared in a burst of smoke - two women who were clearly sisters, to judge by their similarities; one with curly blonde hair, and one with curly ginger hair. "Hello again, River" the ginger one greeted her sibling with a happy smile. "Good to see you, Melody" the blonde woman replied in turn.

"Professor Song, Doctor Pond, thank you for joining us. Help yourself to some tea" Vastra offered them. River thanked her, lifting the tea cup to her lips – by then, it had become a champagne flute. "How did you do that?" asked Jenny, and River smirked. "Disgracefully" she replied, as Melody transformed her own cup into champagne. "You were such a terrible influence on me, what would our father say?" she laughed, before looking Clara over. "You must be the Doctor's new companion" she guessed.

Clara blinked, surprised that Melody had figured it out so fast. "Um, yes, I'm Clara Oswald. Sorry, but who are…?"

"Melody Pond and River Song, daughters of his former companions. Well, daughter and stabilised clone" replied Melody, gesturing first to River and then to herself. "The Doctor or the Corsair might have mentioned us?" River added, half curious. It would be nice to know that the Corsair at least hadn't forgotten about her after she...left. Clara nodded hastily. "Oh, yeah, yeah…well, at least I've heard the Corsair telling Emily stories about someone called River and a girl called Melody…but he made it sound like you were older than she was" the girl explained to River.

Before the conversation could get needlessly complicated, Vastra cleared her throat pointedly. "Perhaps we should get down to the business at hand" she reminded them all. "That might be good, dear, yes" Jenny agreed - she was getting the creepiest feeling they weren't alone, and she'd rather have something to focus on to keep her mind off of it.

Vastra waved her hand and an image of DeMarco's face appeared in holographic form above the table. "Clarence DeMarco. Murderer, under sentence of death. He offered us this in exchange for his life" she explained, changing the image. "Space-time co-ordinates" River noted, studying the interconnected circles and lines. "This, Mister DeMarco claims, is the location of the Doctor's greatest secret" Vastra explained. Clara asked curiously, "Which is?"

Everyone looked at her oddly. "We don't know, it's a secret" Jenny reminded her, and Clara felt embarrassed. What a daft question. "The Doctor does not discuss his secrets with anyone, my dear" Vastra told Clara gently, "If you're still entertaining the idea that you are an exception to this rule, ask yourself one question. What is his name?"

Clara couldn't answer – none of them could. Jenny stiffened slightly; she thought she felt someone touch her cheek. "That's not all true" said Melody, "he discusses his secrets with one person – Romana. She'd know his name" she pointed out. River sipped at her champagne. "I know his first wife's name, but I don't think that would help much here" she commented. Clara gave her a confused look and asked, "He…told you his first wife's name?"

"He had to".

"Why?"

"To prove he trusted me…and more so I could prove he could. It's complicated" River explained, waving the subject off. Vastra though, looked at her sympathetically and asked, "They've still not contacted you?"

"The Doctor doesn't like endings…the Corsair sends me a message through Melody from time to time, though. So what else did this DeMarco tell you?" River inquired, getting the subject back on track, "He didn't just buy his life with some coordinates. How did he prove their value?"

"One word, only".

"What word?"

"A word I've heard in connection with the Doctor before. Trenzalore" Vastra revealed. Clara didn't understand, but Melody and River clearly did – they froze and paled. "Madam Vastra…how _exactly _did he convince you to listen to him?" Melody asked warily. The holographic DeMarco reappeared and repeated, "The Doctor has a secret, you know. He has one he will take to the grave. And it is discovered".

The two sisters looked at one another in alarm. "You misunderstood" River began to explain, but she was interrupted by Jenny. "Ma'am, I'm sorry. I just realised I forgot to lock the doors" she said nervously. Vastra dismissed her saying, "It doesn't matter, Jenny. What misunderstanding? Tell me".

"No, ma'am, please. I should've locked up before we went into the trance".

"Jenny, it doesn't matter!"

"Someone's broken in. Someone's with us. I can hear them" Jenny explained, tears filling her eyes. Finally Vastra realised something was very wrong. "Jenny, are you all right?" she asked. The young woman swallowed, tears running down her cheeks. "Sorry, ma'am, so sorry, so sorry, so sorry…I think I've been murdered" she replied. Then she began to fade away.

"Jenny!"

"What's happened to her?"

"Jenny, can you hear us?"

"Speak to us, boy!"

"Jenny!"

"You're under attack" River realised, "You must wake up _now_. Just wake up. Do it!" She leaned across the table and slapped Vastra hard across the face. The Silurian was jerked back into the waking world, and found Jenny lying on the ground in their parlour, surrounded by a group of faceless creatures. "Who are you? What have you done to her?" she demanded, but they simply snarled at her.

Melody woke up Strax by throwing her champagne in his face, and he too awoke to find himself surrounded by the faceless creatures – the Whisper Men. The same creatures appeared in the dream world with Clara, Melody and River. "Tell the Doctor. Tell the Doctor. Tell the Doctor" they chanted. A flicker caught Melody's eye – she looked over and for the briefest of moments, met the eyes of the Corsair, but then with a look of alarm he disappeared. It all happened so quickly that she wasn't sure it had even been real.

"Tell him what?" Clara asked fearfully. The face of DeMarco became the face of Walter Simeon. "His friends are lost for ever more, unless he goes to Trenzalore" warned the new hologram. River looked horrified. "No! You can't say that. He can't go there. You know he can't" she protested. The Whisper Men continued to chant, this time repeating what Simeon had said. "His friends are lost for ever more, unless he goes to Trenzalore" they whispered threateningly.

Melody turned to Clara and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Clara, _don't _tell them. The Doctor can _never _go to Trenzalore" she warned. Clara tried to ask why, but the next thing she knew, someone was shaking her. "Clara! Hey, Clara! Wake up!" they called. Groaning, Clara sat up on her bedroom floor, with the Corsair kneeling beside her. "Oh, she's back! Hello, sleepy head. Care to tell me why you were passed out on the floor?" the Time Lord asked cheerfully.

"…I was…" Clara's head spun and she tried to get her thoughts in order… "Having a bad dream. And I fell out of bed" she replied. The Corsair raised a dubious eyebrow. "You were asleep at two o clock in the afternoon?" he asked. Clara nodded slowly. "…Okay. Come on, the others are downstairs. You should see what the Doctor's doing, it's hilarious" the Corsair grinned in amusement, helping Clara to her feet.

They went downstairs to find the Doctor stumbling around blindfolded, watched by the Time Ladies, the youngest of which was sniggering behind her hands. "Am I getting warm? Look, I'm pretty sure you have to tell me if I'm getting warm. I'm, I'm, I'm pretty sure that's in the rules" he protested, his hands outstretched at waist height. His long fingers brushed against Emily's head, and he patted it with a frown. "…Artie?"

"No, daddy" Emily giggled. The Doctor pulled his blindfold off and sighed. "Okay, I give up. Where are they?" he asked Romana, who straightened his bowtie before explaining, "At the cinema – I did tell them not to go, but the most I could do was get them to agree to come home by eight". She hoped Emily wouldn't be that troublesome when she was a teenager…well, when she'd matured into a teenager.

The Doctor pouted. "The little…Daleks!" he huffed, before demanding "Hang on, why didn't any of you tell me they'd gone?"

"Because watching you wander around like a headless chicken was the funniest thing we've seen all day" the Corsair replied from the stairs, grinning at a very put out Doctor. He looked questioningly at Romana, feeling a bit hurt that _she _of all people hadn't warned him. "I knew you'd figure it out on your own" she explained, and he smiled at her, appeased. Then he turned to Clara, pulling her into a hug. "Hello, Clara! What's wrong?" he asked in concern, seeing her expression.

Clara vividly remembered Melody's warning, and schooled her features into mild confusion. "Nothing, what do you mean?" she asked. Romana gave her a stern look. "Clara, don't hide things from us" she chided, "now what's the matter?"

/

Fifteen minutes later, Clara had made tea for four (herself, Romana, Flavia and the Doctor – Emily had orange juice and the Corsair had some wine), and reluctantly explained what had happened. "So…I met River and Melody? From the stories you tell Emily?" Clara asked the Corsair, who rubbed his jaw and nodded, looking thoughtful. Flavia patted his shoulder sympathetically. _You could still visit her, you know. _

_No…the Doctor is right. Endings hurt._

_But if nothing ends, then nothing begins, isn't that true as well? _

The Doctor spoke for the first time since Clara had begun to explain. "River asked Vastra for the exact words. What were they?" he asked Clara, who recited as best as she could from memory, "he Doctor has a secret he will take to the grave. It is discovered…Doctor?" she said worriedly, seeing that the Time Lord was on the verge of tears. "Sorry" he sniffled, "And it was Trenzalore? Definitely Trenzalore?" His voice broke.

"Yeah" Clara answered softly. The Doctor wiped away a tear. "Oh dear…sorry…" He scrambled up and ran out of the room, not stopping until he reached the TARDIS. Romana and Emily followed him of course, right under the console. Emily climbed into his lap as Romana wrapped her arms around them both, silently comforting him. He smiled softly…he didn't know what he'd do without them, his girls.

Clara, Flavia and the Corsair joined them a few minutes later, after the Doctor had managed to calm down and get his emotions under control. "So…?" Clara asked hesitantly. The Doctor sighed, and came back up to the console level. "Trenzalore. I've heard the name, of course. Dorium mentioned it. A few others. Always suspected what it was, never wanted to find out myself. I don't think any of us did… Right, come here" he beckoned to Clara, "Give me your hand. Now, the coordinates you saw will still be in your memory. I'm linking you into the TARDIS telepathic circuit. Won't hurt a bit".

He stuck her with a wire. "Ow!" she exclaimed, frowning at him. "I lied" he admitted, patting her hand and moving to another part of the console. "Okay, what is Trenzalore? Is that your big secret?" she inquired.

"No".

"Okay, what then?"

"When you're a time traveller, there's one place you _never _want to travel to" the Corsair informed her, "All of time and space to visit, and there's one place you mustn't ever go".

"Where?"

"You didn't listen, did you?" the Doctor asked her, continuing before she could reply, "You lot never do. That's the problem. 'The Doctor has a secret he will take to the grave. It is discovered'. He wasn't talking about my secret. No, no, no, that's not what's been found. He was talking about my grave. Trenzalore is where I'm buried" he explained.

"How can you have a grave?" Clara asked in disbelief – the Doctor just seemed so timeless, she couldn't imagine him ever…ever... "We all have a grave somewhere, Clara" Romana told her with a sigh, "not even Time Lords live forever". Emily whimpered slightly, not liking all this talk of dying and her father being buried…Romana stroked her hair and smiled down at her comfortingly.

"You're not going to go though, are you" said Flavia; the Doctor just looked at her. "Oh no, Doctor, you can't! Apart from it being one of the major Laws of Time, think how Romana and Emily will feel!" she protested, gesturing to the other Time Ladies. Romana frowned slightly. "Flavia, please don't try to use us to guilt the Doctor…but I appreciate you trying to talk some sense into him" she added to the now abashed Time Lady.

The Doctor sighed, and explained "I know, but…I have to save Vastra and Strax. Jenny too, if it's still possible…they're our friends. They've taken care of Emily, and they've helped to save our lives – we owe them. _I _owe them. I have a duty". He had a long history of abandoning his friends, or at least that was how he felt in the dark times when nothing seemed right with the universe…those times were less nowadays, of course. "There's no point in telling you this is too dangerous" he said to Clara, who shook her head and answered, "None at all. How can we save them?"

"Apparently, by breaking into my own tomb" the Doctor replied, pulling down the dematerialisation lever. The TARDIS shuddered and jerked, making it difficult for them to keep their balance. The adult Time Lords hurried to try and stabilise the wayward time machine, whilst Emily and Clara simply held on tight to the railings. "She's just figured out where we're going. She's against it!" the Doctor exclaimed by way of explaining the TARDIS' behaviour.

"I'm not surprised! You're breaking every rule in the book, Doctor. I know you want to save our friends but this is insane!" cried Flavia, holding onto the console with one hand and manipulating controls with the other. "What makes you think _that's _going to stop him?" the Corsair asked her sarcastically, as the TARDIS finally stopped. It didn't land, it just stopped. "Now what?" Clara inquired.

"She doesn't want to land. She's shut down" the Doctor breathed as the lights dimmed, only the emergency lighting staying on.

"So we're not there?"

"We must be close". The Doctor went over to the doors and opened them, looking down at a roughly Earth sized, volcanic planet. "Okay, so that's where I end up" he murmured. Clara and Romana joined him, one on either side. He put his arm around his wife's waist. "Always thought maybe I'd retire" he admitted, "Take up watercolours or bee-keeping, or something. Apparently not". Romana didn't say anything, she just squeezed his hand.

"So, how do we get down there? Jump?" asked Clara, and Romana told her, "If you want to burn to death, go ahead". They retreated back to the console, and Romana advised everyone to hold on very tight. "Why?" asked Clara even as she obeyed; Emily strapped herself into the seat by the console, gripping the edges of the chair tightly. "She's turned off practically everything, except basic life support and the anti-gravs. Guess what I'm turning off" said the Doctor, flicking his sonic at the console. They screamed as the TARDIS plummeted down…down...down.


	30. The Name of the Doctor Pt 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who

The Name of the Doctor – Part Two

They'd already fallen almost all the way to the planet by the time Romana managed to turn on the inertial dampeners, and even then the TARDIS hit the ground hard enough to crack one of the window panes. They all winced when they saw the crack. "Say goodbye to hot showers, Doctor" the Corsair quipped, trying to keep the mood light and failing. Then again, it was hard to tell good jokes in a graveyard.

The sky was dark, and lightning cracked above their heads. Emily kept a tight hold of her mother's hand, trying to be brave…but she was very nervous. They all were. "You okay?" Clara asked the Doctor, "You're visiting your own grave. Anyone would be scared" she added gently. The Doctor shook his head slightly. "It's more than that. I'm a time traveller. I've probably time-travelled more than anyone else" he told her. Normally the Corsair would dispute that fact, but now was obviously not the time. "Meaning?" inquired Clara.

"Meaning my grave is potentially the most dangerous place in the universe. Shall we?" the Doctor gestured forward. They made their way through the graveyard, up a slope. "Gravestones are a big basic" Clara noted, seeing just slabs of stone, no hint of any carved names or decorations. "It's a battlefield graveyard. My final battle" the Doctor explained grimly. "Why are some of them bigger?" Clara questioned. The Corsair informed her, "Higher the rank in the army, the bigger the gravestone...oh". He pointed up to the top of a hill, where a huge but familiar shape loomed.

Romana swallowed upon seeing it – it just made this all the more real. She really didn't want to be here, but the Doctor would have come to save their friends no matter what and she couldn't just let him go alone. "It's a hell of a monument" Clara observed, because of course, she didn't understand… "It's the TARDIS" the Doctor tried to explain.

"I can see that".

"No Clara, what we mean is, when a TARDIS is dying the dimension dams start breaking down. We call it a size leak" Romana elucidated. The Doctor then continued, "All the bigger on the inside starts leaking to the outside. It grows. When I say that's the TARDIS, I don't mean it looks like the TARDIS, I mean it actually is the TARDIS. My TARDIS from the future… What else would they bury me in?" he sighed, before starting to walk towards it.

The others made to follow, but Clara pulled up short when River and Melody appeared in front of her. "Clara, don't speak. Don't say our names. They can't see or hear us, only you can" Melody explained hurriedly. Flavia looked back at Clara and waved for her to catch up. "Come on, Clara, don't fall behind!"

"We're mentally linked. It's the conference call. We kept the line open" River told Clara, who was too surprised by their sudden appearance to move. The Doctor came back to see what was going on. "Clara, what are you doing? We need to get…River". He was staring at River, and for a moment she thought he was actually seeing her…but then he walked forward and right through her, kneeling down in front of a small gravestone with her name carved on it.

The others gathered round. "That's impossible. Her grave can't be here" the Corsair protested. Clara frowned in confusion. "She's not dead" she pointed out, but Flavia sighed and told Clara, "No. River's been dead for a long time…only Melody is still alive". Clara glanced at the astral River, who shrugged apologetically and admitted, "Yeah, probably should have mentioned that - Never the right time".

"But I met her".

"Long story, but her grave can't be here" the Doctor protested. Whispers could be heard floating on the air. "Doctor!" Clara gasped, pointing at the Whisper Men advancing on them. "This man must fall as all men must. The fate of all is always dust" they whispered creepily. The Corsair pulled out his weapon and fired at the Whisper Men, but the plasma blast went right through them. "Damn it, I hate non-corporeal enemies!" he groaned. Melody quickly asked Clara, "If that isn't really my sister's gravestone, then what is it?"

"What do you think the gravestone really is?" Clara asked out loud, as the Whisper Men advanced. Romana pulled Clara behind her. "Maybe it's a false grave" Clara added, repeating what River was saying, "Maybe it's a secret entrance to the tomb!"

"Maybe we could try opening it then, anytime would be great Doctor!" the Corsair said impatiently – fighting aliens he couldn't just shoot always put him on edge. The Doctor pulled out his sonic and aimed it at the grave, causing a hole to appear below his feet. He yelped as he fell down into the Earth. "Get down into it, quickly" Romana urged them, jumping down herself and catching Emily as she slid herself in. Clara was the last to climb in. She looked over at the slowly approaching Whisper Men. "The man who lies will lie no more when this man lies at Trenzalore" they whispered. She jumped.

/

Madam Vastra and Strax regained consciousness at the base of the TARDIS monument. "This base is surrounded! Lay down your weapons and your deaths will be merciful!" Strax announced to the air as he scrambled to his feet. "Jenny! Jenny!" cried Vastra, running over to her wife's body and cradling Jenny in her arms. Strax continued to bluster to nobody. "This planet is now property of the Sontaran Empire. Surrender your women and intellectuals" he demanded.

"Strax, please!" Vastra snapped, distraught, "She's dead". The Sontaron scanned Jenny with his medical equipment. "No heartbeat. Complete cardio-collapse, shock induced" he announced. Vastra lowered her back to the ground and turned on Strax. "Get her back for me. Get her back for me now or I will cut you into pieces!" she cried hysterically, grabbing at Strax. He pushed her away, saying with scorn "Unhand me, ridiculous reptile" – and then he used his scanner like a defibrillator and restarted Jenny's heart. She coughed.

"There we go. Just a standard electro-cardio restart. She'll be fine" Strax assured Vastra, who was extremely relieved. "Are you all right, my love? Can you hear me?" she asked Jenny, putting an arm around the girl. "The heart is a relatively simple thing" Strax said dismissively. That didn't match up with Vastra's experience. "I have not found it to be so" she murmured, looking down at the lover she'd almost lost. Dr Simeon and the Whisper men approached them.

"I see you have repaired your pet" he noted callously, "No matter. I was only attracting your attention. I presume I have it".

"Doctor Simeon – this is not possible".

"And yet here we are, meeting again, so very far from home".

"But he died, you told me" Jenny declared, speaking for the first time since she'd been revived. "Simeon died, but the creature that possessed him lived on" Vastra realised, standing up and facing Simeon. "I take it I am now talking to the Great Intelligence?" she presumed. He didn't confirm this, but instead gestured around them. "Welcome to the final resting place of the cruel tyrant. Of the slaughterer of the ten billion, and the vessel of the final darkness. Welcome to the tomb of the Doctor" he announced, as lightning cracked.

/

The Doctor and Romana lit convenient torches with their sonics and lit up the tunnel they'd found themselves in. "Where are we?" asked Clara. Wherever they were, it was pretty creepy. "Catacombs" the Doctor replied, and she amended that to 'definitely creepy'. "I hate catacombs. So how come I met your dead friend?" she inquired.

"Oh well, you know how it is when you lose someone close to you. I sort of made a back-up".

"I died saving him. In return, he saved me to a database in the biggest library in the universe. Left me like a book on a shelf. Didn't even say goodbye. He doesn't like endings" River explained. Up ahead, the Corsair called for her to run – the Whisper Men were in the tunnel with them.

/

Simeon described the battle that they could now see the remnants of, in the gravestones scattered about, in a very biased fashion. "It was a minor skirmish, by the Doctor's blood-soaked standards. Not exactly the Time War, but enough to finish him. In the end, it was too much for the old man" he revealed. Vastra and Jenny frowned. "Blood soaked?" Jenny repeated dubiously. Vastra insisted, "The Doctor has been many things, but never blood-soaked".

"Tell that to the leader of the Sycorax, or Solomon the trader, or the Cybermen, or the Daleks. The Doctor lives his life in darker hues, day upon day, and he will have other names before the end. The Storm, the Beast, the Valeyard".

"Even if any of this were true, which I take the liberty of doubting, how did you come by this information?"

"I am information".

"You were a mind without a body last time we met".

"And you were supposed to stay that way".

"Alas, I did" Simeon admitted, pulling off his face to reveal an empty husk. His clothes crumpled to the ground, and a Whisper Man stepped forward, its blank face transforming into that of Simeon's, "As you can clearly see".

/

The Doctor and Romana made it to a steel door, the entrance to the lower levels of the dying TARDIS. "Come on, quickly! Get in" the Doctor urged, ushering everyone inside. A Whisper Man grabbed Clara's arm, and she cried out, "Help!" The Corsair karate chopped the alien's arm, making it release Clara, and then they hurriedly slammed the door shut on it. The creature's arm got stuck, but then it pulled back, and they could close the door properly. "Yowzah" the Doctor panted. _I thought you weren't going to say that again? _Romana reminded him. _Oh yeah…I forgot. _

They couldn't stay there – the six of them made their way up metal staircases. "Still a bit of a climb; I think I remember the way. Clara? Clara" the Doctor said in concern, seeing his companion start to stumble. She leaned against the wall, feeling dizzy. "It's alright, Clara. Just take deep breaths" Romana advised her, "The dimensioning forces this deep in the TARDIS can make you rather light-headed sometimes".

"I know, I know" Clara nodded, and then she frowned worriedly, "How do I know? How do I know that?"

"Clara, it's okay. You're fine" the Doctor tried to assure her. Now was _not _a good time for her to start being affected by the TARDIS. "Have we, have we done this before?" she asked, and then she remembered, "We have. We have done this before. Climbing through a wrecked TARDIS – you said things, things I'm not supposed to remember".

"We can't do this now. The TARDIS is a ruin. The telepathic circuits are awakening memories you shouldn't even have". A memory flashed through Clara's mind – being on a stony cliff edge, the Doctor demanding to know, "_Why do I keep meeting you?_"

"Clara?" Emily asked nervously as the human's eyes widened.

"_The Dalek Asylum. There was a girl in a shipwreck and she died saving my life. And she was you_"

"Clara!"

"_In Victorian London there was a governess, who was really a barmaid, and she died. And she was you_"

"Clara, what's wrong?" asked Romana, touching her 'little sisters' shoulder; Clara gasped and pulled away. "What do you mean, you keep meeting me? You said I died. How could I die?" she asked the Doctor in alarm. "That is not a conversation you should even remember" he protested.

"What do you mean I died?"

The Whisper Men were advancing on them once more. "The girl who died he tried to save. She'll die again inside his grave" they chanted. Romana resisted the urge to roll her eyes – did they have to talk in rhyme? It got rather annoying after a while. "Run, run!" the Doctor urged, grabbing Emily's hand and pulling her along. Luckily she was used to running and kept up with him easily.

/

"The doors require a key. The key is a word. And the word is the Doctor's" Simeon explained to the Paternoster Gang, just as the others arrived. "Here I am, late to my own funeral" the Doctor said flippantly as he sauntered in, Emily staying close to Romana, "Glad you could make it. Jenny" he nodded at the maid, glad to see that she was alive. Then he turned to face Simeon. "Open the door, Doctor. Speak, and open your tomb" the man demanded.

"No".

"Because you know what's in there?"

"I will _not _open those doors".

"The key is a word lost to time. A secret hidden in the deepest shadow and know to you and your wife alone. The answer to a question".

"We will _not _open his tomb" Romana refused, keeping herself between Simeon and Emily. "Doctor, what is your name?" the Great Intelligence inquired, gripping the Doctor's jaw in an effort to force him to open his mouth. The Doctor pushed his hand away and stepped back. Simeon's eyes narrowed. "The Doctor's friends and family – stop their hearts" he ordered the Whisper Men, who immediately began to advance on the others, hissing aggressively.

Strax immediately began to make battle plans. "Madam, boys, combat formation. They are unarmed" he announced, not that this information helped much. "So are we?" Jenny pointed out, and Strax glared at her. "Do not divulge our military secrets!"

"Stop this. Leave them alone" the Doctor demanded, but Simeon merely stood there and observed the attack detachedly. "Your name, Doctor, answer me" he ordered, reaching out and gripping the Doctor's upper arm tightly when he tried to run to Romana and Emily's aid. "Let go!" he cried, struggling. Strax picked up a stick and slashed it through a Whisper Man. "Do you want me to do that again?" the Sontaron threatened…only for the gap to close up.

"Doctor Who?" asked Simeon, as the Whisper Man reached _into _Strax's chest and closed its hand around his heart. "Please, stop it" the Doctor insisted, still fighting to get out of Simeon's grasp. "Unhand me, sir – argh!" Strax cried out, and so did the Corsair, as Whisper Men began to squeeze their hearts. Another two began to attack Clara and Flavia as well.

"Leave them alone! Let them be, please!" the Doctor practically shouted at Simeon, who remained coldly unmoved. "Doctor Who?" he asked again. "Mummy!" Emily cried in fright, and the Doctor whipped around in time to see Romana struggling to fend off a Whisper Man that was reaching its hands through her torso. "No!" he cried out, throwing himself away from Simeon and towards his wife, but he still couldn't break free. In desperation, he pressed a hand to his mouth and whispered a single word into it.

The door to his tomb swung open; Simeon released him, and motioned for the Whisper Men to retreat. Romana leaned over, clutching at her chest and wincing as the Doctor ran over to her. "You're okay. You're alive" he whispered in relief, holding her close. _Theta, you said your name. You shouldn't have said your name. _

_I didn't have a choice. I couldn't let him kill you, Ro…I love you too much _he replied, resting his forehead against hers for a moment, before pulling away and looking back at the others. "Is everyone alright?" he asked aloud. Strax blustered, "Why did you open the door, sir? I had them on the run". The Corsair groaned and rubbed his chest. "Ow…I never want to go through that again" he announced. A rather shaken Clara turned to the Doctor and said bluntly, "That was not nice".

"I know. I'm sorry. Now then, Doctor Simeon, or Mister G Intelligence, whatever I call you, do you know what's in there?"

"For me, peace at last. For you, pain everlasting. Won't you invite us in?" Simeon gestured to the doors. His tone made it clear that he would make his Whisper Men attack again if the Doctor refused…so the Time Lord set his jaw and strode forwards, pushing the door further open. The others followed him into the console room of the dying TARDIS, with the Cloister Bell tolling weakly and ivy curling around the railings. In the centre, rather than the console room there was a swirling column of white tendrils. "What's that?" Clara asked curiously, staring at it.

"What were you expecting, a body? Bodies are boring. I've had loads of them. Nah, that's not what my tomb is for" the Doctor told her, sounding flippant to cover up the fact that he was scared – not scared, more like terrified. "But what is the light?" asked Vastra. Jenny was almost mesmerised by it. "It's beautiful" she murmured, gazing at it. "Should I destroy it?" asked Strax. Vastra told him to shut up. "Doctor, explain. What is that?" Clara questioned, pointing at the column.

"The tracks of my tears" the Doctor replied, and Simeon rolled his eyes. "Less poetry, Doctor – just tell them" he prompted. Romana glared at him. "Time travel is damage. It's like a tear in the fabric of reality. That is the scar tissue of my journey through the universe. My path through time and space from Gallifrey to Trenzalore" her husband explained to the non-Time Lords, flicking his sonic at the column. Echoes of his past incarnations began to fill the room, overlapping with one another.

The first Doctor; "Have you ever thought what it's like to be wanderers in the fourth dimension?"

The fourth Doctor; "Do I have the right?"

The sixth Doctor; "Daleks, Cybermen, they're still in the nursery compared to us…"

The second Doctor; "There are corners of the universe that have bred the most dangerous things…"

The ninth Doctor; "You were fantastic, absolutely fantastic".

The tenth Doctor; "I'm the Doctor. I'm from Gallifrey in the constellation of Kasterborous…"

The third Doctor; "It was the daisiest daisy I'd ever seen".

_Their _Doctor; "Hello, Stonehenge!"

"My own personal time tunnel" the Doctor explained, waving a hand at the swirling light, "All the days, even the ones that I…" he swayed in place slightly, "err…even the ones that I haven't…lived yet" he gasped out as his legs buckled underneath him. "Doctor!" Romana exclaimed in alarm, rushing forward. With the Corsair and Clara's help she pulled him away from the time tunnel. "We shouldn't have come here. The paradox is too much for him" she explained to the obviously bewildered human.

Simeon stepped towards the time tunnel, much to the Doctor's alarm. "No. No. No. What are you doing? Somebody stop him!" he cried; the Corsair pulled out his blaster and aimed it at Simeon's head. "Go ahead, shoot me; it won't do any good. As for what I'm doing - The Doctor's life is an open wound. And an open wound can be entered" he pointed out. Romana's eyes widened in horror. "No. No, you can't!" she pleaded desperately. The Doctor tried in vain to convince Simeon to back down. "It will destroy you!"

"Not at all" Simeon replied calmly, "It will kill me. It will _destroy_ you. I can rewrite your every living moment. I can turn every one of your victories into defeats. Poison every friendship. Deliver pain to your every breath" he explained, stating the threats like they were simple facts, like he was commenting on the weather. "You're insane" Flavia proclaimed, "if you go in there you'll be torn apart!"

"She's right… Once you go through, you can't come back. You will be scattered along my timeline like confetti" the Doctor warned him. Romana hated how he kept saying 'will' – as if he was resigning himself to the fact that Simeon would enter his timeline, as if he was giving up. The problem was that right then she couldn't see any way out of this.

"It matters not, Doctor. You thwarted me at every turn. Now you will give me peace, as I take my revenge on every second of your life. Goodbye. Goodbye, Doctor" Simeon replied as he walked backwards into the time stream. The whisper men vanished, and with a flash of light, the pure white column blazed an angry, bloody crimson as the Doctor screamed.


	31. The Name of the Doctor Pt 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who

The Name of the Doctor – Part Three

It was chaos. The Doctor was in agony, the pain of a thousand deaths tearing through him at once, and that pain scorched the link between him and Romana. She gritted her teeth and tried not to scream, wrapping her arms around the Doctor who was writhing, like he was having a seizure. Yet neither she nor her husband could help but cry out when Emily vanished from their sight. "What's happening? Where'd she go?" Clara asked frantically.

"He's rewriting our timelines, making it so Emily was never born" Romana explained, her anguish evident in her voice. Emily found herself floating in a space devoid of light, sound, sensation of any kind – the Void. Alone and terrified, she covered her face with her hands and sobbed silently. "Wait…if the Doctor is killed, then, he won't have…" Flavia paled in realisation…and then she too disappeared. "Flavia!" the Corsair cried out in alarm, grasping at the thin air where she'd stood. He vanished a moment later.

The Doctor turned wide, desperate eyes on Romana. "Don't, no, please don't!" he begged; whether he was begging her or the Great Intelligence, he didn't know. Tears ran down both their cheeks. "I'm sorry love" Romana whispered, before she was gone in a blink. The Doctor yelled in despair and curled in on himself. They were gone, all of them, he'd never saved them from House and they would die there, his sweet Emily had never been born…he wished he'd just _die _properly; it had to be better than this.

"Oh, dear Goddess" Vastra gasped in horror, making Jenny tear her gaze from the stricken Time Lord to her Silurian wife. "What's wrong?" she asked hurriedly, and Vastra merely breathed, "A universe without the Doctor - There will be consequences. Jenny, with me" she ordered, rushing from the room. Jenny and Strax followed her. Clara knelt beside the Doctor, gripping his hand tightly in hers. "Doctor, please! Tell me how to help, how do we get them back? Vastra said you died in the Dalek Asylum, but you said I was there, how? How can I have been there?"

"No. Please, stop. My life, my whole life is burning!"

Outside, Vastra pulled out a scanner and held it up to the sky. "What are you scanning for?" asked Jenny. Vastra quickly replied, "Local star systems".

"Why?" Strax questioned. Vastra directed their gazes up at the stars – or rather, at where the stars _should _have been – and replied, "Because they're disappearing".

"Disappearing how?"

"The Doctor's timeline has been corrupted. His every victory reversed. Think how many lives that man saved. How many worlds. He saved your life when we met… Jenny?" Vastra looked to Jenny when the other woman didn't reply, only to find that her lover had vanished, her timeline cut like a thread. "Please, Jenny, no! Oh God, oh please, no" Vastra cried in distress. Strax suddenly turned on her. "Reptile scum" he spat, lunging at Vastra, who retreated swiftly.

"You are an affront to Sontaran purity. Prepare to perish!"

"We're friends. Strax, your past is changing, but I swear, we are comrades!"

"Die, reptile!" the Sontaron bellowed. Vastra grabbed a thick branch and prepared to defend herself with it, but then Strax was torn from existence as well. "Strax, Strax!"

Back in the tomb, Clara slowly stood up and faced the time tunnel. "I have to go in there" she realised. The Doctor heard her, and threw all his strength into speaking. "Please, please, no". He couldn't…he'd already lost his wife, and his child, and his friends. He couldn't lose his companion as well. "But this is what I've already done" said Clara, more to herself than to the Doctor, "You've already seen me do it. I'm the Impossible Girl, and this is why" she understood as she walked up to the time tunnel.

"Whatever you're thinking of doing, don't" River warned her, she and Melody appearing beside Clara. "If I step in there, what happens?" she asked them. Melody explained, "The time winds would tear you into a million tiny pieces. A million versions of you, living and dying all over time and space, like echoes".

"But those echoes could save the Doctor, right? And that would save Romana, Emily, the Corsair and Flavia as well".

"But they wouldn't be you. The real you would die. They'd just be copies" River tried to warn her. Clara looked at the time tunnel again, gathering her resolve. "But they'll be real enough to save him. It's like my mum said, 'The soufflé isn't the soufflé, the soufflé is the recipe'". It didn't matter if the echoes weren't the real her, just like it didn't matter if the soufflé wasn't exactly like her mum's – all that mattered was that the echoes would be a _part _of her, the part that wanted to save the Doctor. "It's the only way to save him, isn't it?" she asked. River and Melody looked at one another, and then nodded.

Just then, Vastra returned and revealed the terrible news. "The stars are going out. And Jenny and Strax are dead. There must be something we can do" she said desperately. Clara smiled a bit as she looked back at the Doctor. "Well, how about that? I'm soufflé girl after all".

"No…please".

"If this works, get out of here as fast as you can. And spare me a thought now and then".

"No, Clara…"

"In fact, you know what? Run. Run, you clever boys, you caring girls, and remember me".

"No, Clara!"

She stepped into his time stream, and it turned white. In seconds the Great Intelligences work began to be resolved. Emily reappeared and threw herself into her father's arms. Flavia returned and threw aside decorum to hug the Doctor and Emily as well. The Corsair was restored and kissed his prosthetic arm in relief before joining in the group hug, as did Romana the second she was brought back. Vastra wrapped her arms around Jenny the moment she appeared, and when Strax blinked into existence a moment later they both threw their arms around him, much to his affront.

The Doctor ignored Strax and Vastra talking as he held Romana and Emily close to him, and prayed that they'd never be taken from him again. Clara had done it; she'd saved him in all his lives. Everything from Victorian London to when he first ran away from Gallifrey, and he _finally _remembered her.

"It was an unprovoked and violent attack, but that's no excuse" Strax was insisting as the Doctor got to his feet, kissing Romana and passing Emily into her arms. "We're all restored. That's all that matters now" Vastra insisted, but the Doctor stepped forward, shaking his head. "We're not _all _restored" he reminded them, walking slowly up to the time tunnel. Romana put Emily down and strode forwards, her hand reaching out to grasp his shoulder. "Doctor, you can't go in there. You'll die! I'm sorry that Clara is dead, but do you want her sacrifice to be for nothing?"

River nodded emphatically. "Yes, thank you Romana, talk some sense into him!" she exclaimed in relief. The Doctor looked at Romana, and slowly lifted her hand from his shoulder. "I have to try" he said simply, before turning back to the time tunnel. "It's suicide! And there's nothing you can do anyway, she'll have been killed. Romana's right, Doctor, you can't go in there" Flavia insisted firmly. The Doctor was almost at the tunnel, when Romana grabbed him and more forcibly turned him around to face her.

"Doctor, _stop_" she demanded, "I won't let you destroy yourself".

"So you expect me to just abandon someone who saved my life? Our lives?"

"No…I expect you to get our friends home safe, look after our daughter…and come back for us, if you can" she replied, before kissing him fiercely. Then she stepped past him whilst he was still reeling from the kiss, and approached the time tunnel. "Hey. No, wait, no, not you. You can't go in there!" he protested, coming up beside her on her right. "There's more of a chance for me to survive this than you, Theta. The time winds won't destroy me and the stream won't collapse as quickly" she explained, her voice shaking slightly.

"There has to be another way. Use the TARDIS, use something. Save her, yes, but for God's sake be sensible!" River cried desperately, reaching out to pull Romana back only for her hand to slip right through the Time Lady. "Romana, please, hear us! Don't do this!" Melody pleaded; then she got the shock of her lives when the Corsair suddenly said, "Let her go, Mels".

Everyone turned to stare at him in shock and confusion. "How…how do you know we're here? No one can see us" Melody murmured in disbelief. The Corsair walked up to them and shrugged. "Actually, I could see and hear you the whole time" he admitted, "I picked up that soporific soaked paper. I nearly got dragged into that little dreamscape of Vastra's until I realised what was happening and pulled myself back out" he explained.

"Err, Corsair…who are you talking to?" the Doctor asked, wondering if the other man had gone mad somehow. The Corsair gestured to the thin air beside Romana and explained, "River and Melody – well, projections of them anyway – are standing there, and they don't think you should jump into his time stream. Normally I'd agree, but the Doctor's right - we have to at least try to save Clara, and that's the best way of doing so".

Emily, who'd been very scared the whole time, brightened a little. "Really? Hi Auntie Melody, hi Auntie River!" she waved at the blank space beside her mum. The Corsair grinned. "They say 'hello' back" he told the girl. The Doctor moved to face the same blank space; assuming that River and Melody were listening to him, he said, "River…you're an echo. Like Clara. Like all of us, in the end. My fault, I know, but you should've faded by now".

A short pause followed. "She doesn't want to leave, though. Not when we haven't said goodbye" the Corsair translated the silence. The Doctor looked helpless. "How do we say it? How do I say it…ask them to tell me, because I don't know" he said to the Corsair. Moments later, the answer came back. "She just wants you to say it like it's not over".

"Alright then, see you around, Professor River Song".

"Same here" added Romana, and the Doctor turned to her. "I will come back" she promised him, caressing his cheek. "Please do" he murmured, leaning into her touch even as she pulled her hand away. She turned to the time tunnel and took a deep breath, ready to plunge in – then the Corsair called out "Romana! Just so you know, this might not be in vain. River and Melody were mentally linked with Clara…if they're still here, she can't really be dead, now can she?"

Romana nodded to him gratefully for the information, and then she stepped into the Doctor's time stream. There was a flash, and Emily ran up to join her father. "Will she be okay, daddy? Can she do it?"

"…Yeah, sweetheart; your mother can do anything".

/

_I don't know where I am. I don't know where I'm going or where I've been. I was born to save the Doctor, but the Doctor is safe now. I'm the Impossible Girl, and my story is done._

Clara landed with a thud, after falling for what felt like (and had technically been) lifetimes. She found herself in what looked like the graveyard on Trenzalore. "Hello?" she called as she gingerly got to her feet. There was another thud, somewhere in the mist. "Hello? Is anybody there? Please, I don't know where I am!"

"You're in the Doctor's time stream" Romana's voice replied. Clara turned in a circle, disoriented by the fall and the mist. "I can't see you!" she called out. Romana answered her, "Come towards my voice, over here. Don't worry if you see anyone else – they're just echoes, of the Doctor's incarnations" she explained. The first Doctor walked swiftly past Clara, followed by the fourth, and the sixth. "Come on, Clara, hurry. We can't stay in here for long, it will start to collapse very soon" Romana warned her.

Clara tried to move faster and tripped over a gravestone. "Ow – why, why did you come for me? Why didn't you just run?" she asked, not understanding why Romana would risk her life to save one human when her husband and daughter were safe. "It was either this, or let my ridiculous husband jump in his own time stream" explained Romana. Clara struggled to her feet; she'd twisted her ankle. She limped towards the sound of Romana's voice. "I don't even know who I am" she revealed.

"You're my honorary sister, and my husband's companion. You're the Impossible Girl. I'm sending you something, from your past, not the Doctor's. Look up, Clara". She did so, and saw a leaf floating down on winds that stirred the mist, drawing curtains of it aside. "That leaf is you, Clara. It brought you into existence and it will help you find yourself. You're very close now – I can almost see you. Come on, come on!"

She hurried forward as fast as she could on her injured ankle. "I can't…my ankle is hurt. I can't do it" she despaired; then Romana told her "No, Clara. You can't give up. You saved my husband, and now I'm saving you. I can see you. You have to trust me on this, I'm real. Come to me!" she urged, holding her hand out to Clara. The younger woman staggered forward, and almost fell into Romana's arms. She hugged her 'little sister', and then looked over her shoulder at a man standing with his back to them.

Clara looked around as well. "Who's that?" she asked Romana, who swallowed nervously and said "Never mind that, let's get out of here".

"But who is he?"

"He's my husband, Clara. Apart from us, all the versions of my husband are the only people here".

"But I never saw that one. I saw all of his faces, eleven of them. You married the eleventh Doctor".

"Clara, I said he was another version of my husband" Romana told her quietly, "I didn't say he was the Doctor".

"I don't understand".

"It's complicated. The Doctor's name is a secret, yes, but it isn't the big secret. The name we choose is like a promise we make…and he's the one that broke the promise. Now please, let's leave" she pleaded, only for Clara to faint into her arms. She sighed and heaved the younger (but not necessarily lighter) woman into her arms. The figure was still there, and still hadn't turned around. "What I did, I did without choice" he said sadly.

"I know".

"In the name of peace and sanity" he added. Romana sighed. "I'm sorry" she said simply, before turning and walking away, back to the light. The War Doctor turned around and watched her go. He wondered who she was.

/

Clara groaned as she regained consciousness, slowly opening her eyes. She was in her attic bedroom at the Maitland's, there was a glass of water on the side (as well as some Jammy Dodgers), and the Corsair was sitting on the edge of the bed. "De ja vu, eh?" he smiled at her. She rubbed her head and sat up slowly. "What happened?"

"First of all, Angie and Artie are fine. They're both asleep, the Doctor made sure of that. Also, their dad knows we're here, and he's cool with it, we explained everything. Secondly, you stepped into the Doctor's time stream. A million echoes of you were created, but the original – this you – managed to survive somehow. Romana brought you back. The thing is…people can't just go jumping into other people's time streams without getting affected by it all, you know?"

"…What do you mean?"

The Corsair leaned forward, and with a perfectly straight face, said "You're a Time Lady, Clara".

"I'm a _what?_"

He burst out laughing. "Oh, man! The look on your face! Nah, you're not a Time Lady, but you haven't exactly got off scot free either" the Corsair admitted when he'd caught his breath. Clara narrowed her eyes at him and folded her arms. "What happened to me? And tell me the truth this time" she said firmly. The Corsair threw her a mock salute. "Yes, ma'am, but first, can you get up? We should probably go downstairs and let them know you're alright. It's either that, or I tell them telepathically and they'll all come barrelling in here. Well, Emily will at least".

"You ramble as much as the Doctor sometimes, you know that?"

"Yeah, I think he's rubbed off on me. So, are you coming down?"

"Okay. Just give me a minute" said Clara. She swallowed some water to try and settle her stomach, before climbing out of bed and standing up carefully. She wobbled a bit and the Corsair put his hand on her shoulder to steady her. "Maybe this isn't such a good idea" he admitted, but she shook her head. "No, it's okay. I'm fine".

They went downstairs, and just as the Corsair predicted, Emily jumped up from her father's lap and ran to Clara when she stepped into the living room. "Clara! I'm so glad you woke up. Are you okay? Daddy said you would be, but are you?" she asked in a rush. Clara knelt down and hugged the young Time Lady, before pulling back and saying "Yeah, I'm okay. Just a bit woozy…what about you? You were erased from time".

"I can't really remember what happened now…it feels like a bad dream" Emily admitted as she returned to sit with her parents. Clara sank into another chair and the Corsair leaned against the side, one arm draped along the top. "So, Clara wants to know what happened to her. I mean, I told her what happened, but I also warned her that there might have been…long term consequences, shall we say" he explained to the others.

Clara looked at the Doctor and Romana expectantly. "Okay, so…you might find yourself remembering moments you've never lived, except that you have, but it wasn't _this _you. Most of it though, will just sit somewhere in the back of your mind. Your brain isn't equipped to remember a thousand different lives" the Doctor explained. That made Clara feel a bit better, but she still wanted to know how this might have changed her.

"As for how the time stream affected you – it should have destroyed you, completely, the way it destroyed the Great Intelligence" Romana told her simply, "but you created a link between all of your echoes and yourself, without even realising it. You know what that link was? Soufflés" revealed the Time Lady. Her husband nodded in confirmation. "That's right. Oswin Oswald in the Dalek Asylum dreamed she was baking soufflés, and Clara Oswin Oswald in Victorian London asked us if there was a kitchen on board the TARDIS because she liked to make soufflés. You're soufflé girl" he smiled at her.

"That's great, but I still don't know how I've been affected" Clara pointed out. She was pleased though – she'd gone into the time stream thinking not only about saving the Doctor, but about her mum's soufflés as well. Her mum had saved her. "I was getting to that. You've been saturated in artron energy, for a start" Romana continued to explain, "If it were visible, you'd be glowing. In fact, from our point of view, you pretty much are glowing".

"It's really pretty, though" Emily reassured Clara quickly. "Wait, you mean like radiation?" the human asked, and Romana shook her head. "No, not radiation; it's more like you're covered in glow in the dark paint, made of timey wimey particles of energy, if you can imagine that. You probably can't; forget I said anything" the Doctor rambled. "Don't worry, it's not distracting, and it's actually beneficial to you. The energy will alter and enhance your antibodies, making you much more resistant to disease" explained Romana.

Clara took a moment to process it all. "So…I'm okay? I'm full of this artron energy, and it'll stop me getting sick, but other than it's not dangerous at all?"

"Well, it won't stop you getting sick exactly, you'll just get better faster. As for it being dangerous…to be perfectly honest, Clara, we don't know how this will affect you in the long run. No human has ever absorbed as much artron energy in one sitting as you have" Romana elucidated. Clara swallowed and nodded slowly. "Okay…I think I'll go back to bed" she decided, getting to her feet. The Doctor got up as well, and walked over to her. He pulled her into a hug and whispered, "Thank you, Clara Oswald. For everything".

She smiled and murmured back, "Thank you, Doctor. Thank you for remembering me". Then she pulled away and said aloud, "Thank you for saving me, Romana. Well, goodnight, everyone" she smiled, heading back up the stairs. "Goodnight, Aunt Clara" Emily called after her, before looking up at her parents. "I think she'll be okay now. Where are we going next?"

/

"You're a wizard, Harry" – come on, that line was just _made _to be parodied XD.


	32. The Night of the Doctor

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who

A/N: 10Blue10 is not responsible for any inconveniences caused by an overwhelming amount of feels. CAUTION: The feels in this chapter are very high already, but for added feels, listen to Phil Collins 'No Way Out' whilst reading near the end.

The Night of the Doctor

The Doctor rolled over, one arm unconsciously reaching out to pull Romana closer to him. When his hand found nothing but empty sheets, he woke up and dazedly looked to where Romana should have been lying beside him. She wasn't there. _Romana? _He reached through their link, but she didn't reply. In fact, it didn't feel like he was linked or bonded to anyone at all. "Romana!" he called aloud, "Ro, if this is a prank, it's not funny!"

Except that Romana didn't prank. The Corsair would probably pull something like this, but not his Romana. The Doctor scrambled out of bed, and started to search for his wife, trying not to panic. She wasn't in the en-suite. He went across the hall to Emily's room, only to find the door was missing. "What the…Sexy, where's Emily's bedroom?" he asked aloud. There was no reply, of course.

He reached out for the others, just wanting a flicker of an answer from one of them. There was nothing – his mind was empty and hollow, just like after he'd…after he'd… "No. This can't be happening, they…they have to be here somewhere. Romana! Emily!" The Doctor ran through the TARDIS, calling out for his family and friends, searching in every room he passed, getting more and more desperate by the minute.

At last he reached the console room, and they weren't there either. By now a thousand different scenarios were playing in the Doctor's head, but he refused to believe they were… He ran for the door, throwing it open and stepping out into…the graveyard at Trenzalore. What was he doing here? The dying version of his TARDIS loomed on the hill ahead…there were four gravestones standing before it. He didn't remember them being there, and recalling how River's gravestone had been a secret entrance, he set off to investigate.

Strange figures sailed through the mist in the corners of his eyes, but the Doctor tried to ignore them. A chill ran up his spine whenever he glimpsed one, or worse, met its gaze. He wasn't in a hurry to approach his dying time machine, but when he got close enough to see the word carved on the right most stone, he ran forward. **FLAVIA **was the word, and when he looked, dreading the sight, the other stones read **THE CORSAIR**, **EMILY **and even **ROMANA**.

Out came the sonic screwdriver, scanning each gravestone in an effort to find a hidden switch, a secret compartment, something. There was nothing though…they were just stone, nothing more. "No…no!" he cried, kneeling between the gravestones with Romana and Emily's names on them, putting a hand on each. "No, you can't be…you can't be dead" he gasped out, tears prickling at his eyes. There _had _to be some mistake. "Oh, but they are" a cold voice behind him announced.

The Doctor stood up immediately and turned to face a Time Lord in black robes, with a dispassionate, calculating gaze. "Doctor" he greeted with a sneer, and the Doctor tensed. "Valeyard…you're dead. You were destroyed" he insisted. He remembered fighting this evil alter-ego in his seventh incarnation, and the Valeyard had been killed when his TARDIS exploded. "As if the loss of a physical form would affect me; I'm a part of you, Doctor, and I always will be".

"I will _never _become you".

"You're confident of that fact, are you? Even after everything you've done?"

"I had no choice!"

"Oh, there's always a choice. It didn't stop with burning your own people, now did it? Just think, Doctor. Think how many people have died because of you. Remember them" the Valeyard ordered. He produced a scroll from inside his robes and unfurled it, clearing his throat and reading aloud, "Jabe, of the Forest of Cheem, burned to death inside Platform One…whilst trying to help the Doctor. Gwyneth, a servant girl, died channelling the Gelth after _the Doctor _told her to. Hmm, I think I'm seeing a pattern forming here".

"Stop it".

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Doctor. Shall I continue, or do you want to cry pitifully over their graves for a while?"

"….Fine. Get on with it".

"Very well. Ahem – Pete Tyler, father of Rose Tyler, committed suicide after the Doctor convinced him he needed to die" –

"That's not fair! Pete _did _have to die – no, I don't mean it like that, but there were Reapers, everything was being destroyed – argh!" he cried out as the Valeyard backhanded him. "I'm speaking, now don't interrupt. Where was I? Ah, yes – Lynda Moss, potential companion, killed by the Daleks after the Doctor told her to stand guard alone. Sir Robert MacLeish, Scottish nobleman, killed by a werewolf whilst trying to buy the Doctor time to save everyone...except himself".

On it went, a list of every person who had died trying to help or save him. He could have handled being reminded of all the enemies he'd destroyed, but listening to the Valeyard describe individual, innocent people, who had simply had the misfortune to encounter him…that was nearly too much. Then the Valeyard made the mistake of saying, "Jenny, cloned offspring, killed when sacrificing herself to save the Doctor". The Doctor's patience waned thin. "Enough" he said harshly, "Jenny is alive, and she's going to stay that way".

"Ah, but for how long? Face it, Doctor; you destroy everything you love in the end. One day, Jenny is going to fall defending your favourite planet because you never came to help. The Corsair and Flavia will perish helping you save the universe, whilst you live on to fight the good fight another day. Romana shall sacrifice herself to save her dear husband, and little Emily, one day she'll understand how much of a monster you are…and run away from you for good".

"No...That's not true…"

"Yes, it is. This is the only constant of your existence, Doctor. _Death. _Still, I'm you, and you can be merciful when you want to be. Do you want to be with Romana? Then so be it" the Valeyard said callously, throwing the scroll at the Doctor's feet where it burst into flames. The flames formed a ring around him, and the ground beneath started to collapse in on itself, dragging him down into Romana's grave. The Doctor struggled desperately, choking on the smoke, when he started to hear Romana's voice. "Doctor! Doctor! Theta, wake up!"

/

With a gasp, the Doctor jerked awake, his eyes flying open. He was on board the TARDIS, in bed, and Romana was sitting on the edge of it, looking down at him in concern. "Theta, what's wro-oh!" she exclaimed in surprise as he sat up abruptly and wrapped his arms around her, sobbing into her shoulder. "There, there. It's okay, it's gonna be okay" she murmured, stroking his hair and wondering what he'd dreamed of that put him in such a state.

"I lost you…" he whimpered, clinging to her as if he was afraid she'd disappear…Romana thought she knew what this was about. "I came back though. We all did" she reminded him, but the Doctor shook his head. "I lost you…and one day I'll lose you again. I lose everyone I love, Romana. The Valeyard was right, I destroy everyone I love and…I'm a monster".

"Don't say that. You're not a monster, Theta".

"I am. Look at what I did to our planet. Do…do you know why I've never told Emily what happened to Gallifrey? Because if she knew, if she knew what I've done she'd be _terrified _of me".

"Well, I beg to differ. Doctor, we're bonded, remember? I saw everything, I've been trying to get past your shields and wake you up the whole time but apparently your mind is stubborn when you're in trouble" Romana explained, and the Doctor immediately began to apologise. "I'm sorry, Romana, I'm so sorry…"

"You don't have to be. I know it hurts, Doctor, but I promise, I'm not going anywhere. None of us are. As for Emily…perhaps it's time you told her the truth".

"But…what if she…"

"I doubt she'll be afraid of you. Besides, she's bound to discover the truth one day. Wouldn't you rather she heard the full story from you, rather than a twisted version from someone else?"

"…I...you're right. As usual" he sighed, hugging her to him once more. "Not just yet, though. I just…need a moment" he mumbled into her neck, resting his head on her shoulder. "Of course, love" Romana soothed, wrapping her arms around him.

/

A few hours later, during breakfast, the Doctor said he had something to tell them – but mostly Emily – in the parlour. So they sat down with cups of tea and coffee in the room where they'd talk about each adventure, and the Doctor pulled Emily onto his lap. "Daddy, what's wrong? Why do you look so sad?" she asked worriedly, patting his cheek. He held her little hand and smiled down at her. "I had a bad dream" he told her, and she he pouted sympathetically.

"I'm okay now, though…it's just, I think it's time I…there's something I haven't told you, Emily. I haven't really told anyone" he admitted. Emily frowned slightly in confusion. "What is it?" she asked. The Doctor took a deep breath and explained, "Well, I've shown you pictures of all my past incarnations. The truth is, the ninth Doctor…was actually the tenth Doctor. My real ninth incarnation came about because…the Time Lords went to war with the Daleks, and I was in my eighth incarnation then. I tried to run away, but then…"

_Flashback _

Cass pressed every button she could reach in a futile attempt to stop her ship from crashing. "Help me, please! Can anybody hear me?" she asked, trying to get through to mission control, or to a passing craft. "Please state the nature of your ailment or injury" her computer intoned in reply. Cass huffed in impatience. "I'm not injured, I'm crashing. I don't need a doctor" she replied. This didn't dissuade the computer however. "A clear statement of your symptoms will help us provide the medical practitioner appropriate to your individual needs".

"I'm trying to send a distress signal. Stop talking about doctors" Cass snapped impatiently, and then she jumped when she found a stranger in her ship. "I'm a doctor" he said by way of a greeting, "But probably not the one you're expecting. Where are the rest of the crew?" he inquired, pulling out some kind of cylindrical device and scanning for them. "Teleported off" replied Cass.

"But you're still here".

"I teleported them".

"Why you?" 

"Everyone else was screaming"

"…Welcome aboard"

"Aboard what?"

"I'll show you!" he announced, taking her hand and pulling her away from the bridge. "Where are we going?" she asked breathlessly.

"Back of the ship".

"Why?"

"Because the front crashes first. Think it through. Oh!" he exclaimed as the bulkhead door ahead slid closed, "Why did you do that?"

"Emergency protocols" Cass explained, so the man pulled out his little whirring stick thing again and held it against the door. "What's your name?" he inquired, at a very odd time, but she introduced herself anyway. "Cass".

"You're young to be crewing a gunship, Cass".

"I wanted to see the universe. Is it always like this?"

"If you're lucky" he replied, getting the bulkhead open at last. There was a blue police box standing there. "Don't worry, it's bigger on the inside" the man assured her, and Cass froze. "What did you say? Bigger on the inside, is that what you said?" she asked quickly. The man nodded and beckoned her to follow him. "Yes. Come on, you'll love it".

"Is this a TARDIS?"

"Yes, but you'll be perfectly safe, I promise you" he said, reaching for her hand again. Cass pulled away from him. "Don't touch me" she warned him.

"I'm not part of the war. I swear to you, I never was".

"You're a Time Lord".

"Yes, I'm a Time Lord, but I'm one of the nice ones!" he insisted, moving towards her again. Cass backed away, past the frame of the bulkhead. "Get away from me!" she snapped. He paused and gestured to himself. "Well, look on the bright side. I'm not a Dalek" he pointed out, but Cass just glared at him in disgust. "Who can tell the difference anymore?" she asked, closing the bulkhead door. The Time Lord called to her through the porthole, "Cass!"

She heard his device whirr and forewarned him, "It's deadlocked, don't even try".

"Cass, just open the door. I'm trying to help!"

"Go back to your battlefield. You haven't finished yet. Some of the universe is still standing!"

"I'm not leaving this ship without you".

"Well, you're going to die right here. Best news all day".

"Cass, Cass. Cass! Cass! Cass!"

The ship crashed onto the planet below with a huge explosion. A group of robed women observed it all. "And here he is at last" noted Ohila, their leader, "The man to end it all. My sisters, the Doctor has returned to Karn. We have always known in our bones that one day he would return here. Such a pity he's dead".

/

"Cass!" the Doctor gasped out as he jerked awake, to find himself sitting against some kind of altar. "If you refer to your companion, we are still attempting to extract her from the wreckage" Ohila informed him, and a pang of guilt rent the Doctor's hearts. "She wasn't my companion".

"She's almost certainly dead. No one could survive that crash".

"I did".

"No. We restored you to life, but it's a temporary measure. You have a little under four minutes".

"Four minutes? That's ages. What if I get bored, or need a television, couple of books? Anyone for chess? Bring me knitting".

"You have so little breath left. Spend it wisely" Ohila advised him. "Hang on…" the Doctor started to recognise them all, "Is it you? Am I back on Karn? You're the Sisterhood of Karn, Keepers of the Flame… of utter boredom".

"Eternal life".

"That's the one".

"Mock us if you will, but our elixir can trigger your regeneration, bring you back. Time Lord science is elevated here on Karn. The change doesn't have to be random" Ohila explained, gesturing to her fellow Sisters, who were holding goblets. "Fat or thin, young or old, man or woman?"

"Why would you do this for me?"

"You have helped us in the past".

"You were never big on gratitude" the Doctor pointed out, and Ohila decided to simply lay all the cards on the table, as it were. "The war between the Daleks and the Time Lords threatens all reality. You are the only hope left" she told the Doctor, who glared at her. "It's not my war. I will have no part of it".

"You can't ignore it forever".

"I help where I can. I will not fight".

"Because you are the good man, as you call yourself?"

"I call myself the Doctor".

"It's the same thing in your mind".

"I'd like to think so".

"In that case, Doctor, attend your patient" Ohila instructed. Cass was carried in and laid on the altar. The Doctor hurried forward and scanned her with his sonic. "You're wasting your time. She is beyond even our help" Ohila informed him.

"She wanted to see the universe".

"She didn't miss much. It's very nearly over".

"I could have saved her. I could have got her off, but she wouldn't listen".

"Then she was wiser than you. She understood there was no escaping the Time War. You are a part of this, Doctor, whether you like it or not".

"I would rather die".

"You're dead already. How many more will you let join you? If she could speak, what would she say?"

"To me? Nothing. I'm a Time Lord. Everything she despised".

"She would beg your help, as we beg your help now. The universe stands on the brink. Will you let it fall? Fast or strong, wise or angry. What do you need now?"

The Doctor ran his fingers over Cass's baldric, thinking, considering. Weighing his options, few as they were. In the end, he said, "Warrior".

"Warrior?"

"I don't suppose there's a need for a doctor any more. Make me a warrior now".

"I took the liberty of preparing this one myself" said Ohila, handing him a steaming goblet. "Get out. Get out! All of you" he commanded. "Will it hurt?" he asked Ohila just before she departed.

"Yes".

"Good. Charley, C'rizz, Lucie, Tamsin, Molly, friends, companions I've known, I salute you. And Cass, I apologise. Physician, heal thyself" – with that, the Doctor drank the contents of the chalice, and doubled over as regeneration energy began to pour through him. Moments later, it was all over. "Is it done?" asked Ohila, returning to find another man straightening up, taking Cass's baldric from her prone form and putting it on. "Doctor, no more" he said simply.

/

"…He went back to Gallifrey and joined the Time War. Then he...I decided, No More. No more fighting and destruction…I broke into the Vaults and stole the Moment, a powerful Time Lord invention, that would…let me destroy the Daleks and…and the Time Lords. That's why we can't go to Gallifrey, Emily. I destroyed it, and everyone on it" the Doctor finished. He'd closed his eyes at some point and he didn't dare open them. Emily still sat on his knees, but he expected her to climb off and get away from him any moment.

What he didn't expect was for her to throw her little arms around his neck and hug him. The Doctor opened his eyes in sheer surprise. "Oh, daddy, that's awful! I'm sorry that happened to you" Emily told him, looking up at him with those adorable big blue eyes. He stared at her in shock. The only thing he could think of to say was, "What?"

"I'm sorry that happened to you, daddy. You must have been so scared" Emily repeated, hugging him again. The Doctor's brain could not compute. "You…you're not afraid of me?" he asked in barely a whisper. Emily looked up at him again. "Why would I be afraid of you? You're my dad, you love me. I know you didn't want to destroy Gallifrey, but it was the only way you could stop the War. I understand" she assured him.

The Doctor pulled her close and kissed the top of her head. Romana put her arm around his shoulder, the Corsair walked over and squeezed his shoulder supportively, and Flavia placed her hand on his other shoulder. "I love you" he said quietly.

It didn't matter who he was speaking to.

It was just the five of them, against the universe.

They all felt the same way.


	33. The Day of the Doctor - Pt 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who

The Day of the Doctor – Part One

After Mr Maitland managed to hire another nanny to watch his children, Clara got herself a new job as a teacher at Coal Hill School (with a little help from a certain Time Lord). She taught English, and on this particular day was busy with her last lesson. "Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one" she quoted, "Marcus Aurelius".

The bell rang, and the students filed out. Another teacher, a young man, hurried in to see Clara. "Have you been running?" she asked curiously. Her fellow teacher, Tom, took a moment to get his breath back and then explained, "Are you okay? There was a call for you at the office, from your doctor".

"Did he leave an address?" asked Clara. Tom handed her a piece of paper; Clara read it and smiled. Bidding goodbye to Tom, she grabbed her helmet and goggles and went to the motorbike that the Corsair had given her as a 'congrats on the new job' present. She drove out to the countryside, where the TARDIS stood on a lonely country lane. Clara drove right at it, sounding her horn, and the doors swung open to let her in.

She braked and swerved just in time to keep from hitting the console. "Draught" the Doctor reminded her from where he sat reading a book on Advanced Quantum Mechanics, so Clara snapped her fingers and the door closed. "Hello, Aunt Clara!" beamed Emily, running around the console to Clara as she climbed off of her motorcycle. "Hello, Emily! Wow, have you had a growth spurt?" asked Clara, measuring Emily's height against herself.

Emily nodded and explained, "We've been travelling for about five years, give or take. I'm twenty one now" she announced proudly. The Doctor came over and asked Clara, "Fancy a week in ancient Mesopotamia followed by future Mars?"

"Will there be cocktails?"

"On the moon".

"The moon'll do!" laughed Clara, hugging the Doctor. "How's the new job?" he asked as she bestowed a hug on Romana, "Teach anything good?"

"No. Learn anything?"

"Not a thing". Clara gave both the Doctor and the Corsair high-fives, but before she could say hello to Flavia the TARDIS juddered and an alarm began blaring. "What's happening?" asked Clara as they all grabbed at something to keep their balance. "Whoa, whoa -We're taking off, but the engines aren't going" the Doctor said in bewilderment. He half ran, half staggered over to the door and looked out. Then he looked up, as the unmistakable whirr of a helicopter could be heard through the open doors.

The Doctor recognised the helicopter as one from UNIT, so he held onto the door frame with one hand and dialled Kate Stewart on the phone with his other. "Doctor, what's happening?" Romana inquired as he waited for someone to pick up. "UNIT wants us, apparently. I'm just going to ask Kate what exactly she thinks she's doing" he called back over the whoosh of air and the sound of the propellers overhead.

Someone did answer the phone, but he didn't recognise the voice. "Hello? Kate Stewarts phone".

"It's the Doctor, can you put Kate on?"

"Oh, hold on..." he held on, quite literally, and then Kate's voice came through the phone. "Doctor, hello" she greeted, "We found the TARDIS in a field. I'm having it brought in".

"No kidding".

"Where are you?" she asked. He held the phone up towards the helicopter, and then pressed it to his ear again. "Oh, my god! Oh, Doctor, I'm so sorry. We had no idea you were still in there" Kate apologised. The Doctor was just about to chastise her for not at least _checking _to see if he was home before she carted off his TARDIS, when the helicopter changed direction, and he fell out of the box.

Luckily Clara and Romana managed to grab his ankles. The phone dangled from its cord near his head and he could hear Kate's voice coming from it. "Doctor, can you hear me? I don't think he can hear me". The Doctor grabbed the phone and asked incredulously, "Next time, would it kill you to knock?"

"I'm having you taken directly to the scene. Doctor, hello, are you okay?"

"Whoa! I'm just going to pop you on hold" he said, dropping the phone and then somehow twisting himself to grab onto the convenient handhold beneath the TARDIS. "Doctor!" Clara exclaimed in alarm as his legs slipped out of their grasp. Romana leaned right out, looking beneath the TARDIS, and saw the Doctor grin at her. "You are mad!" she shouted at him. "I love you too!" he shouted back.

/

They were dropped off in Trafalgar Square, just outside the National Gallery. The Doctor jumped off before the TARDIS was lowered completely to the ground, and saluted Kate and her soldiers. Then he asked with genuine confusion, "Why am I saluting?"

Kate came forward as the others emerged from the TARDIS. "Doctor, as Chief Scientific Officer, may I extend the official apologies of UNIT"-

"Kate Lethbridge Stewart, a word to the wise" the Doctor advised her, "As I'm sure your father would have told you, I don't like being picked up" he said sternly…but it didn't sound quite as impressive as he'd meant it to. "That probably sounded better in his head" Clara commented, and the Corsair snickered in amusement. "Hello, all of you. I see you've regenerated, Romana" Kate noted, smiling at the now older blonde standing beside the Doctor. Romana smiled back.

"I'm acting on instructions direct from the throne" Kate explained, handing the Doctor an envelope, "Sealed orders from her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth the First". Clara's eyes widened slightly as she looked at the old fashioned envelope. "The Queen? The First? Sorry, Elizabeth the First?" she asked. Kate nodded and informed them, "Her credentials are inside". The Doctor made to break the wax seal, but then Kate said, "No, inside…" she pointed behind her towards the National Gallery.

They moved to go inside the building. "I like your scarf" Romana complimented a woman who seemed to be Kate's assistant – she was wearing a scarf very similar to the fourth Doctor's. The woman looked as if she'd just won a million pounds. _I think your reputation is preceding you _the Doctor commented fondly. _More likely it's your reputation, love _she replied, _she is wearing a scarf like you had, after all._

"Mummy, can we come back and look at the paintings later?" asked Emily. She knew this must be important, and as much as she'd love to explore the Gallery right now, it probably wasn't a very good time. "Okay, darling" Romana answered, smiling down at her as they climbed the steps. "What do you think this is all about?" Clara asked the Corsair, who shrugged.

Inside the Gallery there were more soldiers on duty. "Did you know her, Elizabeth the First?" Clara asked the Doctor, who abruptly changed the subject. "Unified Intelligence Task Force".

"Sorry?"

"This lot. UNIT. They investigate alien stuff. Anything alien".

"What, like you?"

"Actually, he works for them".

"_You _have a job?"

"Why shouldn't I have a job? I'd be brilliant at having a job".

"He does not have a job".

"I'm afraid he does, he never formally quit".

"Daddy is great at his job!"

"Thank you, sweethea"- the Doctor didn't finish, because just then, a cloth was pulled away from an impossible painting, a painting of an alien city under attack from the Daleks. They all stared at it in disbelief and confusion. "Elizabeth's credentials, Doctor" explained Kate, but the Doctor didn't reply. He just couldn't process what he was seeing. "But, but that's not possible" murmured Clara, for an entirely different reason than what the adult Time Lords were thinking of.

"No more" the Doctor said simply. Kate nodded and said, "That's the title".

"I know the title" he snapped, but then Romana put a hand on his shoulder and he relaxed a bit. "It's also known as Gallifrey Falls" Kate admitted. Romana looked at her and questioned, "Kate, where was this painting found? It shouldn't be here, in this time or place" she insisted. She couldn't help but feel like it was something someone wanted to use against them…somehow. "Um…what's it a picture of?" Emily asked curiously. She and Clara had moved to see the painting up close.

"It's the fall of Arcadia, Gallifrey's second city" the Doctor told her as Clara examined the painting. "But how is it doing that? How is that possible? It's an oil painting in 3D" she realised, leaning at an angle and seeing the picture shift to accommodate her new perspective. "It's Time Lord art, Clara" the Corsair explained, "It's bigger on the inside, a slice of real time, frozen".

"Daddy, are you okay?" Emily asked in concern, walking back to him and holding his hand. The Doctor gave her hand a small squeeze in gratitude and admitted, "He was there".

"Who was?" Clara asked in confusion. Romana told her, "The other him, the one you saw briefly in his time stream".

"I don't understand".

"I've had many faces, many lives" the Doctor began to explain, "I don't admit to all of them. There's one life I've tried very hard to forget. He was the Doctor who fought in the Time War, and that was the day he did it. The day I did it. The day he killed them all. The last day of the Time War. The war to end all wars between my people and the Daleks. And in that battle there was a man with more blood on his hands than any other, a man who would commit a crime that would silence the universe. And that man was me".

/

Chaos reigned in the city of Arcadia on the final day of the Time War. Civilians fled from Dalek bombed buildings, desperately seeking shelter from the crumbling wreckage, Daleks and soldiers fighting on all sides. Amidst the near ceaseless cry of "EXTERMINATE!" one soldier hid behind a miraculously still intact wall, and contacted base. "Message for the High Council, Priority Omega. Arcadia has fallen. I repeat, Arcadia has fallen" he said hastily.

Something caught his eye and he looked round to see a TARDIS, stuck in the form of a blue police box from Earth, sitting not too far away. An old man approached him, and declared, "Soldier, I'm going to need your gun". The Gallifreyan had heard about this man, and he really didn't want to stick around with him any longer than was necessary, so he handed his gun over. The Time Lord nodded to him in thanks, but rather than go out to face the Daleks, he fired at a wall instead.

Behind the other wall, the one the soldier had been hiding behind, a group of Daleks cornered a family fleeing for their lives. "Please! Please, just don't!" the father pleaded desperately, but the Daleks were deaf to it all. Then one of them suddenly cried, "Alert! Alert! The Doctor is detected".

"The Doctor is surrounded!"

"Inform High Command we have the Doctor. Seek, locate, destroy" their leader ordered. The Daleks turned their attentions to the wall beside them, allowing the extremely terrified civilians to sneak away. Without warning, a TARDIS crashed through the wall, knocking the Daleks aside like homicidal skittles. "The Doctor is escaping! What are these words? Explain. Explain!" the Dalek leader cried.

/

Back in the Citadel, in the War Room, the General and his second in command, Androgar, discussed these same events. "The High Council is in emergency session. They have plans of their own" Androgar warned the General, but the older Time Lord wanted nothing to do with Rassilon and his schemes. "To hell with the High Council. Their plans have already failed. Gallifrey's still in the line of fire. So, he was there then?" he asked, not needing to specify who he was speaking of.

"He left a message, a written warning for the Daleks. He's a fool".

"No, he's a madman".

"As you can see, sir, all Dalek fleets surrounding the planet now converging on the capital, but the Sky Trenches are holding" Androgar explained, showing his superior the read-outs. There was a tremendous boom, and the building shook, dust raining from the ceiling down onto them. "Where did he go next?" asked the General, much to Androgar's confusion. "What does it matter? This is their biggest ever attack, sir. They're throwing everything at us" he pointed out.

A Time Lady approached them and said to the General, "Sir, we have a security breach to the Time Vaults".

"The Omega Arsenal, where all the forbidden weapons are locked away".

"They're not forbidden any more. We've used them all against the Daleks".

"No, no we haven't" the General said grimly, striding out of the room. Androgar hurried to keep up. They went to the Time Vaults, where a plinth was standing empty. The General had to resist the urge to swear. "The Moment is gone".

"I don't understand. What is the Moment? I've never heard of it".

"The galaxy eater; the final work of the ancients of Gallifrey. A weapon so powerful, the operating system became sentient. According to legend, it developed a conscience".

"And we've never used it".

"How do you use a weapon of ultimate mass destruction when it can stand in judgment on you? There is only one man who would even try".

/

Said man was walking slowly across sun scorched sand, a large sack hefted over his shoulder. As he walked, he spoke. "Time Lords of Gallifrey, Daleks of Skaro, I serve notice on you all. Too long I have stayed my hand. No more. Today you leave me no choice. Today, this war will end. No more. No more" he sighed, approaching a lonely barn.

He went inside and put down the sack, pushing the rough fabric aside to reveal a brass covered cube, inlaid with intricate patterns and clockwork over which he ran his fingers. "How, how do you work? Why is there never a big red button?" he wondered. A scuffling noise made him look up, and he went to the door, peering out. "Hello? Is somebody there?"

"No-one's there" said a voice, and he spun around to see a young woman with long brown hair and brown eyes sitting on the clockwork box, "except for us" she added as an afterthought. The Warrior rushed forward to chivvy her away from the device. "Don't sit on that!" he snapped impatiently. "Why not?" she inquired, as he brushed it off and checked that it wasn't damaged. "Because it's not a chair, it's the most dangerous weapon in the universe" he replied, taking her by the arm and steering her out of the door.

When he turned around, she was standing beside the box, smiling in amusement at his bewildered expression. "You parked very far away" she commented, "You didn't want her to see you, did you?"

"I didn't want who to see me?"

"Your TARDIS – but you know, she _will_ know. She does know. Walking all the way here might have been a bit of a waste of time".

"I was thinking".

"I know. I could hear you".

"You could hear me?"

"I just said that. You're ridiculous" she smiled at him, "Yes, I heard you thinking, 'No More'".

"No more".

"Precisely, no more. No more Daleks, no more Time Lords, no more Time War".

"Stop it".

"I wasn't trying to make you feel bad" the strange woman said apologetically. The Warrior was about to tell her curtly that he felt bad enough without her help, thank you very much, when the device at her feet started to click. He quickly ushered her away from it, warning "It's activating. Get out of here!" He tried to touch the surface, only to get his fingers burned. "Ow!"

"What's wrong?"

"The interface is hot".

"Oh, thank you".

"There's a power source inside…you're the interface?" he asked her in surprise. She smiled shyly and waved. "Hello. I thought you knew the Moment had a conscience, Doctor. I really don't know why you're so surprised" she shook her head at him.

"You know me?"

"I _hear _you" she said seriously, "All of you, chattering away in that incredible mind of yours. I chose this face and form especially for you. It's from your past, or your future. Or possibly both – I always get the two mixed up".

"I don't have a future".

"That's for Time to decide. You're probably wondering what to call me, I should probably introduce myself. Call me…um…Fred. Nice to meet you, Doctor" she smiled, holding a hand out to shake. The Warrior just frowned at her. "Stop calling me Doctor".

"That's the name you choose to be called by".

"I changed it. I've been fighting this war for a long time. I've lost the right to be the Doctor".

"But you're still the one who has to save the universe?"

"Yes".

"Then perhaps it isn't about the 'right to be the Doctor' at all".

"If you have been inside my head, then you know what I've seen. The suffering. Every moment in time and space is burning. It must end, and I intend to end it the only way I can".

"And you're going to use me to end it by killing them all, Daleks and Time Lords alike. I could, but there will be consequences for you".

"I have no desire to survive this".

"That's the consequence. If you do this, then that's your punishment. To live" Fred warned him, before continuing, "You're going to burn Gallifrey, and all the Daleks with it, but you'll burn the civilians as well. How many children are on Gallifrey right now?"

"…I don't know".

"I'm sorry, but one dark night, you will count them. Do you want to see what this will turn you into?" she asked, standing up and waving her hand. A swirling portal appeared floating in mid-air. "I'm opening windows on your future. A tangle in time through the days to come, to the man today will make of you" Fred explained. Then a fez, of all things, fell out of the portal and landed at the Warrior's feet. Fred blinked at it in bemusement. "I didn't see that coming" she admitted bluntly.


	34. The Day of the Doctor - Pt 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who

The Day of the Doctor – Part Two

"But the Time War's over" Clara pointed out, "Why have you brought us here to look at a painting?" she asked Kate, who promptly explained "The painting only serves as Elizabeth's credentials, proof that the letter is from her. It's not why you're here". She nodded to the letter in the Doctor's hands; he opened it and read:

_To my planet's defenders, I trust that the painting known as 'Gallifrey Falls' will serve as sufficient proof that this letter is written by the hand of her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the First. I know that you wish to protect my kingdom and my empire, so in that capacity I have appointed the Doctor as curator of the Under Gallery, where deadly danger to England is locked away. Should any disturbance occur within its walls, it is my wish that you be summoned. Godspeed, Time Lords. _

Romana read the letter over her shoulder, and inquired of Kate, "What was the disturbance, exactly?"

"Easier to show you" she replied, leading them from the room. A scientist standing with the scarf wearer pulled out his mobile and answered it. "McGillop…But that's not possible. I was just... Understood, sir. But why would I take it there?"

Meanwhile, the Time Lords, Kate and her assistant, and Clara were separated from the rest of the Gallery by a metal shutter. They were much more interested in what was in front of them – another painting. Romana looked at the Doctor and raised an eyebrow. "Something you want to tell me, dear?" she inquired. He spluttered a bit, looking between her and the painting of his previous incarnation standing with Elizabeth in period wear. "I…I…it was a long time ago!"

/

_In the past…_

The TARDIS doors flew open and the tenth Doctor galloped out on a white horse (not Arthur, although he'd have liked to see that horse again), with the Queen of England sitting behind him. "Allons-y! There you go, your Majesty, what did I tell you? Bigger on the inside" he said smugly. Queen Elizabeth replied, "The door isn't. You nearly took my head off. It's normally me who does that" she joked.

Not too long afterwards, the two of them relaxed on cushions near a tent flying the royal pennant. "Tell me, Doctor, why I'm wasting my time on you. I have wars to plan" Elizabeth protested even as she ate some fresh grapes. "You have a picnic to eat" the Doctor reminded her, and it was a very nice picnic, if he did say so himself. "You could help me" Elizabeth suggested. The Doctor ate another grape and replied, "Well, I'm helping you eat the picnic".

"But you have a stomach for war" said Elizabeth, and he paused, "This face has seen conflict, it's as clear as day" she added, holding a hand to his cheek. He shrugged glibly. "Oh, I've seen conflict like you wouldn't believe. But it wasn't this face. But never mind that, your Majesty. Up on your feet. Up, up" he urged, pulling her to stand upright. Flustered, she said impatiently "How dare you? I'm the Queen of England".

"I'm not English" he pointed out, before going down on one knee and asking, "Elizabeth, will you marry me?" She gasped in surprise and delight. "Oh, my dear sweet love, of course I will!"

"Ah! Gotcha!" the Doctor exclaimed triumphantly, jumping to his feet. Elizabeth blinked at him in bewilderment. "My love?" she asked in concern. The Doctor held up a finger and rambled, "One, the real Elizabeth would never have accepted my marriage proposal. Two, the real Elizabeth would notice when I just casually mentioned having a different face. But then the real Elizabeth isn't a shape-shifting alien from outer space, _and_" he held up a clockwork blinking light gizmo, "Ding".

"What's that?"

"It's a machine that goes ding. Made it myself. Lights up in the presence of shape-shifter DNA, oooh... Also it can microwave frozen dinners from up to twenty feet and download comics from the future. I never know when to stop" he admitted. Elizabeth stared at him. "My love, I do not understand" she protested. He gave her a hard stare and replied, "I'm not your love, and yes you do. You're a Zygon".

"A Zygon?"

"Oh, stop it. It's over. A Zygon, yes. Big red rubbery thing covered in suckers. Surprisingly good kisser. Think the real Queen of England would just decide to share her throne with any old handsome bloke in a tight suit, just cos he's got amazing hair and a nice horse?...Oh" the Doctor trailed off awkwardly, seeing that the white horse was no longer there. Instead, there was a big red rubbery alien covered in suckers. "It was the horse" he realised, and then, "I'm going to be King", and finally, "Run!"

He grabbed Elizabeth's hand and pulled her away from the Zygon. "What's happening?" she demanded, and he hurriedly explained, "We're being attacked by a shape-shifting alien from outer space, formerly disguised as my horse". They hid inside an abandoned, broken down cottage of some sort, without a roof. "What does that mean?" asked Elizabeth.

"It means we're going to need a new horse".

"Where's it going?"

"I'll hold it off. You run. Your people need you".

"And _I _need _you _alive for our wedding day" Elizabeth insisted, giving him a brief but passionate kiss before fleeing. The Doctor smacked himself on the forehead. "Oh, good work, Doctor. Nice one. The Virgin Queen? So much for history" he chastised himself as he ran through the woods, trying to lure the Zygon away from Elizabeth. He heard her scream, and ran towards the sound. His device blinked and dinged a lot, so he tried to get a fix on where the Zygon is. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Oh, very clever" he said, as he approached…a rabbit.

"Whatever you've got planned, forget it. I'm the Doctor. I'm nine hundred and four years old. I'm from the planet Gallifrey in the constellation of Kasterborous. I am the Oncoming Storm, the Bringer of Darkness, and you… are basically just a rabbit, aren't you? Okay, carry on. Just a general warning" he finished awkwardly. Wow, that was embarrassing. He was just glad there was nobody around to see him threaten a bunny.

"Doctor!"

"Elizabeth!"

He found the Queen lying on the ground in a nearby clearing, and helped her sit up. "That thing, explain what it is. What does it want of us?" she demanded as he helped her to her feet. "That's what I'm trying to find out. Probably just your planet" he said less than reassuringly, judging by her alarmed expression. Then a second Elizabeth approached them, looking identical to the one next to him. "Doctor. Step away from her, Doctor. That's not me. That's the creature" she warned.

Elizabeth stared at her duplicate in fascination. "How is that possible? She's me. Doctor, she's me!" she exclaimed, as the Doctor tried to use his makeshift device to determine which one of them was which.

"I am indeed me; a compliment that cannot be extended to yourself".

"Extraordinary. The creature has captured my exact likeness. This is exceptional".

"Exceptional? A Queen would call it impertinent".

"A Queen would feel compelled to admire the skill of the execution, before arranging one".

"It's not working!" the Doctor said in frustration, banging the gizmo with the palm of his hand.

"One might surmise that the creature would learn quickly to protect itself from any simple means of detection".

"Clearly you understand the creature better than I. But then, you have the advantage".

Their little back and forth was interrupted by the unexpected appearance of a swirling vortex. "Back, both of you, now!" the Doctor warned swiftly, ushering them both away from the vortex. "That's a time fissure. A tear in the fabric of reality. Anything could happen" he said…just before a fez dropped out of it. "For instance, a fez" the Doctor finished in bemusement.

/

"This way" said Kate, leading the eleventh Doctor and co. through a door concealed behind the painting. "Welcome to the Under Gallery. This is where Elizabeth the First kept all art deemed too dangerous for public consumption" she explained. The Doctor side stepped, crouched down and scooped up some of the sandy substance beneath his feet. "Stone dust" he noted, letting it trail through his fingers.

"Is it important?" asked Kate. The Doctor stood up and dusted off his hands. "In twelve hundred years I've never stepped in anything that wasn't" he replied confidently. "Oh, really?" asked the Corsair, "What about when we went to Barcelona last week and you stepped in that pile of"-

"Shut up, Corsair" he said hastily. Clara snickered. Romana turned to the scarf wearing scientist and politely inquired, "What's your name again?"

"Um – Osgood" she replied hastily. "Right, Um-Osgood, I want this stone dust analysed, and"- Romana cleared her throat and he paused. "Yes, dear?"

"You're being rude, Doctor. _Osgood _obviously admires you a lot, the least you can do is ask her to something for you politely" she chided, folding her arms and giving him a stern look. The Doctor nodded, chastened, and looked at Osgood again. "Sorry. Please could you analyse the stone dust?" he asked her, and she nodded dumbly. "Good. Just leave the data on my desk, ASAP, pronto, LOL…wait, do I have a desk?" he asked Kate, who shook her head and replied, "No".

"Okay, I want a desk too" he added to Osgood, who was trying to decide who she admired more now, the Doctor or his wife. She looked to Kate for confirmation; the other woman nodded and instructed, "Get a team. Analyse the stone dust. Inhaler!" she added as they moved away. The Doctor spotted a red fez in a display case, grinned, and took it out. "Someday, you could just walk past a fez" Clara commented as he put it on. "Never gonna happen" he said confidently, walking onwards.

Kate led them into a room with more 3D paintings on the walls, and broken glass on the floor. "As you instructed, nothing has been touched" a scientist assured Kate, who nodded and dismissed him before turning to the Time Lords. "This is why we called you in" she told them. Emily approached the paintings, stepping carefully over the broken glass. "They're very pretty" she smiled, tilting her head to see the 3D effect in action.

The Doctor crouched down and picked up a larger shard of glass. "Interesting" he murmured. Clara raised an eyebrow. "The broken glass?" she said sceptically. Romana shook her head and explained, "It's not the glass, it's the way it's been broken. The shatter pattern shows that all the glass on the paintings has been shattered from the inside".

"As you can see, all the paintings are landscapes" Kate pointed out, "No figures of any kind".

"So?"

"There used to be" said Kate, handing him a tablet with the original image of the painting he was in front of on it. Sure enough, there was a small blurred figure in the photograph, but not in the painting on the wall. "Something's got out of the paintings" Clara realised, looking over the Doctor's shoulder. "Lots of something's" he agreed, "Dangerous".

"This whole place has been searched. There's nothing here that shouldn't be, and nothing's got out" Kate informed them. The Corsair was about to remark that something had obviously gotten out of the paintings, but then a swirling vortex appeared, so he got distracted. "Oh no, not now" the Doctor complained when he saw it. "What's wrong?" Romana asked in concern. "No, not now. I'm busy" he protested, talking to the time fissure instead.

"Is it to do with the paintings?" asked Kate, and the Doctor shook his head. "No, no. This is different. I remember this" he said, before amending, "Almost remember". Then he pulled the fez off of his head. "Oh, of course. This is where I come in" he realised, before tossing the fez into the vortex, and leaping after it with a cry of "Geronimo!"

"Doctor!" Romana and Clara cried in unison, reaching out for him, but it was too late. The vortex disappeared. "I don't believe this" Romana sighed in frustration.

/

The Doctor landed with a thud. "Oof!" he gasped as the breath was knocked out of his lungs. His tenth incarnation put on the fez he'd just thrown through. "Who is this man?" demanded one of the Elizabeth's. Ten admitted, "That's just what I was wondering", watching as his future-self scrambled to his feet and turned to look at them. "Oh, that is skinny. That is proper skinny. I've never seen it from the outside. It's like a special effect. Oi!" He knocked the fez off of Ten's head and laughed, "Ha! Matchstick man".

Ten looked at him in disbelief, the cogs in his head slowly turning. "You're not…" he said slowly, pulling out his sonic screwdriver. Eleven pulled out his own sonic…and flicked it open with a smug smirk. "Compensating" said Ten, nodding at the more elaborate screwdriver.

"For what?"

"Regeneration, it's a lottery".

"Oh, he's cool. Isn't he cool? I'm the Doctor and I'm all cool. Oops, I'm wearing _sandshoes_".

"What are you doing here? I'm busy".

"Oh, busy, I see. Is that what you're calling it, eh?" Eleven picked up his fez and bowed to the two Elizabeth's. "Your Majesties" he greeted politely. Ten rolled his eyes. "What do you want?" he asked impatiently. Eleven put on his fez and replied, "Listen, what you get up to in the privacy of your own regeneration is your business".

"One of them is a Zygon" Ten informed Eleven, who grimaced. "Urgh – I'm not judging you!" he added quickly. The time fissure reappeared, and both of them put on their 'brainy specs', before noticing each other and smiling. "Oh, lovely" they complimented simultaneously. Eleven turned to the two Elizabeth's and advised them, "Your Majesties. Probably a good time to run".

"But what about the creature?" both of them asked at once, and Ten instructed, "Elizabeth, whichever one of you is the real one, turn and run in the opposite direction to the other one".

"Of course, my love" they said in unison, before one of them hurried up to Ten. "Stay alive, my love. I am not done with you yet" she promised him, snogged him, and then ran off. "Thanks, lovely" he said sarcastically. Then the second Elizabeth approached him and said, "I understand. Live for me, my darling. We shall be together again". She kissed him, and left in the opposite direction. Eleven imagined what the Corsair would be saying right then and struggled not to snigger. He did smirk a bit though. "One of those was a Zygon".

"Yeah"

"Big red rubbery thing covered in suckers".

"Yeah"

"Venom sacs in the tongue"

"Yeah, I'm getting the point, thank you".

"Nice".

"Doctor?" Clara's voice emerged from the portal. Eleven could still feel Romana in his mind, and he'd warned her as soon as he realised his past incarnation was there, to not reveal herself. He couldn't _wait _to see the look on Ten's face when he introduced his beautiful wife. "Ah, hello, Clara. Can you hear me?" he called back.

"Yeah, it's me. We can hear you. Where are you?" she asked. Eleven turned to his past-self and asked, "Where are we?"

"England, 1562" he replied. Then Clara questioned, "Who are you talking to?"

"Myself" they both replied. Kate inquired, "Can you come back through?"

"Physical passage may not be possible in both directions" said Eleven, "Its - Ah! Hang on. Fez incoming!" he called, as if he was about to throw a grenade, before chucking the fez through. A few moments later, Clara said "Nothing here". The two Doctors were confused. "So where did it go?" Ten wondered. The fez had, in fact, been sent to the Warrior, who could hear voices through the time fissure, of two females he didn't recognise.

"Who's he talking to?"

"He said himself. Keep him talking"

/

Ten turned to his successor and said, "Okay, you used to be me, you've done all this before. What happens next?" he questioned, but Eleven couldn't answer him. "I don't remember" he admitted, much to Ten's incredulity. "How can you forget this?"

"Hey, hang on. It's not my fault. You're obviously not paying enough attention. Reverse the polarity!" Eleven prompted. The two of them aimed their sonic screwdrivers at the time fissure. "It's not working".

"We're both reversing the polarity".

"Yes, I know that".

"There's two of us. I'm reversing it, you're reversing it back again. We're _confusing_ the polarity" Ten said exasperatedly. They were distracted from a bickering match by the arrival, via time fissure, of a weathered old man both of whom hoped they'd never have to see again. "Anyone lose a fez?" he asked amicably, holding the red headwear up. The Doctors stared at him in shock.

"You - How can you be here? More to the point, why are you here?" Ten questioned. The Warrior said politely, "Good afternoon. I'm looking for the Doctor".

"Well, you've certainly come to the right place".

"Good. Right, well, who are you boys? Oh, of course. Are you his companions?" the Warrior guessed. "His companions?" Eleven asked indignantly. The Warrior chuckled slightly. "They get younger all the time. Well, if you could point me in the general direction of the Doctor?" he asked, and they both simply held up their sonic screwdrivers. The Warrior looked at the screwdrivers, and then at the Doctor's, in dismay. "Really?"

"Yeah"

"Really"

"You're me? Both of you?"

"Yep"

"Even that one?"

"Yes!"

"_You're _my future selves?"

"_Yes!_"

"Am I having a midlife crisis?" the Warrior asked in disbelief, taking a step forward. The Doctor's pointed their sonic screwdrivers at him, much to his bemusement. "Why are you pointing your screwdrivers like that? They're scientific instruments, not water pistols. You look like you've seen a ghost" he pointed out, having noticed the way they were both staring at him. They lowered their sonics slowly.

"Still, loving the posh gravelly thing. It's very convincing" Ten admitted, and Eleven scoffed. "Brave words, Dick Van Dyke". A troop of soldiers surrounded them, led by a nobleman. "Encircle them" he ordered, before demanding to know, "Which of you is the Doctor? The Queen of England is bewitched. I would have the Doctor's head".

"Well, this has all the makings of your lucky day" the Warrior commented lightly.


	35. The Day of the Doctor - Pt 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who

The Day of the Doctor – Part Three

The soldiers attempts to arrest them were cut short by the reappearance of the swirling time fissure. "I think there's three of them now" Clara's voice emerged from the vortex. "There's a precedent for that" replied Kate. The nobleman stared at the fissure in fear and bewilderment. "What is that?" he demanded, levelling his sword at the Doctors and the Warrior. Ten and Eleven both brandished their sonic screwdrivers, much to the Warrior's disdain. "Oh, the pointing again. They're screwdrivers! What are you going to do, assemble a cabinet at them?" he asked sarcastically.

"That thing, what witchcraft is it?" the nobleman demanded once more. Eleven grabbed onto this train of thought and rambled, "Ah, yes. Now that you mention it, that is witchcraft. Yes, yes, yes. Witchy witchcraft. Hello? Hello in there. Excuse me. Hello! Am I talking to the witch of the well?" he called into the fissure. "He means you" said Kate, and Clara asked indignantly, "Why am I the witch?"

"Clara?"

"Hello?"

"Clara, hi, hello. Hello. Would you mind telling these prattling mortals to get themselves begone?"

"What he said".

"Yes, tiny bit more colour".

"Right. Prattling mortals, off you pop, or I'll turn you all into frogs".

"Ooh, frogs, nice. You heard her".

"Doctor, what's going on?" Clara asked impatiently. Eleven waved her question off – despite the fact she wasn't there to see it – and replied vaguely, "It's a timey-wimey thing". The Warrior stared at him like he'd just grown a second head. "Timey what? Timey-wimey?" he repeated incredulously. Ten rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I've no idea where he picks that stuff up" he lied. Queen Elizabeth – one of them anyway – approached, and the soldiers dropped to one knee in respect. "The Queen, the Queen" they chanted.

"You don't seem to be kneeling. How tremendously brave of you" the Queen commented, eyeing the three Time Lords before her. "Which one are you? What happened to the other one?" Ten asked suspiciously. The Queen smirked triumphantly and replied, "Indisposed. Long live the Queen!" she announced, and the soldiers echoed her. "Long live the Queen!"

The Queen turned to the nobleman and ordered, "Arrest these men. Take them to the Tower". Ten pointed at her accusingly and declared, "That is _not_ the Queen of England, that's an alien duplicate".

"And you can take it from him, cos he's really checked".

"Oh, shut up".

"Venom sacs in the tongue".

"Seriously, stop it".

"No, hang on, the Tower? Did you say the Tower? Ah, yes, brilliant, love the Tower. Breakfast at eight, please; will there be Wi-Fi?" Eleven rambled happily. The Warrior stared at him and asked in exasperation, "Are you capable of speaking without flapping your hands about?"

"Yes… No" Eleven admitted, before turning to the Queen and the nobleman. "I demand to be incarcerated in the Tower immediately with my co-conspirators Sandshoes and Granddad" he insisted, pointing to Ten and the Warrior respectively. "Granddad?" the older looking Time Lord repeated indignantly. "They're not sandshoes" Ten sighed in annoyance. The Warrior glanced down at his footwear and said, "Yes, they are".

"Silence!" the Queen commanded, and they all wisely shut up. "The Tower is not to be taken lightly. Very few emerge again" she warned them. Clara, Kate and the other Time Lords heard her; Kate turned to Romana and said quietly, lest she be overheard, "Your husband is a genius. Come on" she beckoned for them to follow her. "Where are we going?" asked Clara as they made their way out of the room. "Back to the TARDIS, we're going to need it" Kate answered. The adult Time Lords glanced at one another suspiciously.

/

Ten, Eleven and the Warrior were placed into a cell together. "Come on, you lot, get in there" said the warder, giving the Warrior a shove into the room. "Ow" he winced, glaring over his shoulder at the man, who ignored it and shut the door. Eleven searched the floor, picked up a piece of metal from a chain or something, and began scratching on a pillar. "Three of us in one cell? That's going to cause some nasty anomalies if we don't get out soon" he commented. Ten looked at him oddly and inquired, "What are you doing?"

Eleven paused and answered, "Getting us out", as if it were obvious. He went back to scratching on the stone. Meanwhile, the Warrior used his own sonic on the door, or at least he tried to. "The sonic won't work on that, it's too primitive" Ten pointed out. Well, calling the door too primitive was better than admitting he'd never gotten around to making the sonic do wood. "Shall we ask for a better quality of door so we can escape?" Eleven quipped.

"Okay, so the Queen of England is now a Zygon" Ten continued, "But never mind that. Why are we all together? Why are we all here? Well, me and Chinny, we were surprised, but you came looking for us. You knew it was going to happen. Who told you?" he asked the Warrior. Behind him, Fred held a finger to her lips, warning the Warrior not to say anything. Eleven realised what his past-self had called him. "Oi, Chinny?"

"Yeah, you do have a chin".

/

They went outside the Gallery to where the TARDIS stood in the middle of the square, guarded by UNIT soldiers. "I've got people searching every dungeon in the Tower for the Doctor's message. As soon as they find it, they'll send it to my phone. We need to put the TARDIS in flight now so that we're ready" she claimed, sounding more like she was giving them orders than suggestions. Romana had her suspicions, and asked, "Don't you think it would be wiser to leave the TARDIS out of enemy hands?"

"What enemy hands? There can't be any enemies in 1562 England. I know the Doctor – well, one of him anyway – called the Queen an 'alien duplicate', but he could have been mistaken" Kate replied. She talked just a little too fast and a little too insistently for it to be believable. _Are you two hearing what I'm hearing? _Romana asked the Corsair and Flavia as she pretended to consider Kate's words. _Loud and clear – whatever she is, she's not Kate _replied the Corsair. _No, Kate Stewart wouldn't try to order us where and when to fly the TARDIS _agreed Flavia.

At last Romana said, "I still don't want to take the risk, Kate". For a moment the other woman looked disappointed, but then she seemed to have an idea. "There is something else we could use to get to him. Come with me" she said, leading them all to her private limousine. The Corsair whistled appreciatively at the sight. In the limousine, Kate texted someone on her phone, sitting a bit apart from the others. Clara turned to Romana and asked, "Is it really such a big risk to take the TARDIS? I mean we could always hide it".

"It's not really about keeping the TARDIS away from enemy aliens, Clara – it's about keeping the aliens away from the TARDIS" Romana replied. Clara looked confused and opened her mouth, but then Romana added, "Just trust us, Clara. We know what we're doing". Clara nodded slowly.

/

In the meantime, Osgood and McGillop were analysing the stone dust on the floor of the Under Gallery. McGillop had come to join Osgood after taking care of something for whoever had phoned him earlier. Looking through a microscope, she described what the dust was comprised of. "Marble, granite. A lot of different stone, but none of it from the fabric of the building. It's like somebody smashed up a lot of old statues. Are there any missing?"

"Don't think so. Why would anyone do that, anyway? I mean, I know we're meant to keep an open mind, but are we supposed to believe in creatures that can hide in oil paintings and have some sort of a grudge against statues? You alright?" McGillop asked in concern. His phone buzzed with a text, but he ignored it. Osgood used her inhaler and said, "We have to go, right now, this minute".

"What's wrong?"

"The things from the paintings, I know why they smashed the statues".

"Why?"

"Because they needed somewhere to hide" Osgood explained. The statues surrounding them suddenly threw off their dust sheets, revealing that they were actually Zygons. Panicked, Osgood ran for her life as they attacked McGillop first. She made it into the National Gallery and shut the door behind her, but then a Zygon burst right through it and the painting concealing it.

She tried to get into the lift, but it wouldn't work, so she crouched in a corner and said over and over, "The Time Quartet will save me. The Time Quartet will save me. The Time Quartet will save me. The Time Quartet will save me!"

"Excuse me" her own voice said scornfully, "I'm going to need my inhaler". A duplicate of Osgood reached down and took the inhaler from the real Osgood's hand. "I so hate it when I get one with a defect. Ooh, you've got some perfectly horrible memories in here, haven't you? So jealous of your pretty sister. I don't blame you. I wish I'd copied her" the Zygon commented.

Osgood's eyes narrowed. "So do I!" she retorted, pulling on her scarf. The Zygon was standing on the end and fell to the ground, giving Osgood enough time to run away. "Oh, for goodness sake" the Zygon grumbled. It considered going after the human, but it needed her alive to keep this form, and it could always find and kill her later. It walked out to meet with another Zygon, this one taking the form of McGillop. He held up his mobile phone and revealed, "Apparently, we're needed at the Black Archive".

/

"The Black Archive" Kate introduced as she led the Time Lords and Clara down an underground corridor, "Highest security rating on the planet. The entire staff have their memories wiped at the end of every shift. Automated memory filters in the ceiling. Access, please" she said to the man sitting at a desk. He got to his feet and saluted with a "Ma'am".

Kate handed him a key. "Atkins, isn't it?" she asked politely, and he nodded. "Yes ma'am, first day here" Atkins replied. Once the door was opened, Kate murmured to Clara, "Been here ten years", nodding to the man behind the desk. As they entered the Archive proper, Romana commented "I think remembering the experience built up over a decade would help Mr Atkins in the long run…also, the security seems a bit basic".

"Can't afford electronic security down here" replied Kate, "Got to keep your husband out. The whole of the Tower is TARDIS-proofed. He really wouldn't approve of the collection" she explained. Romana raised an eyebrow. "And you think we would?" she asked. Kate hesitated for a moment, and then explained, "Call this an…extenuating circumstance. You'll all be memory wiped after this anyway, and you already have top-level security clearing from your last visit". She nodded to a board covered with pictures of the Doctor's companions, and of them.

Romana wasn't happy about this – she didn't like the idea of having a memory taken away, especially since as a Time Lady she could recall whatever she wanted in near perfect detail. Kate noticed her expression and said, "Apologies. We have to screen all his known associates. You know as well as I do that information about the Doctor or the TARDIS falling into the wrong hands would be disastrous". Romana nodded slowly. Stay close, Emily she warned her daughter, who seemed a bit distracted by everything in the Archive. Emily stepped up next to her.

Kate showed them into a large cabinet with a single device stored inside it. "What is that?" asked Clara, and the Corsair explained, "It's a Vortex Manipulator – cheap form of time travel. Won't be as comfortable as a TARDIS but the five of us can use it to get to the Doctor; I've used VMs before, I know the activation codes".

Clara frowned slightly in confusion. "Don't you mean the six of us?" she asked – she'd thought Kate was coming to. Romana shook her head and nudged Emily behind her. "You can drop the disguise, you're not fooling us" she told Kate, who glared at her and then transformed – much to Clara's horror- into a Zygon. "How did you figure it out?" the alien asked, as the Corsair tugged Clara behind him. "Well, the fact that you were so eager to use the TARDIS and the fact that you let me into a place you want to keep my husband out of were rather big clues" Romana explained.

Zygon-Kate had taken her phone out of her pocket, and it buzzed with an incoming text. The Zygon reached out to pick it up, and then the Corsair punched it in the face, knocking it out cold. "I'm really glad it transformed, I'd have felt bad doing that to a woman" he commented, handing Romana the phone and then picking up the Vortex manipulator. The text said 'CELVIDOCXX'. "What does that mean?" asked Clara, reading it beside Romana. The Time Lady translated, "Cell Six, Doctor, kiss, kiss", pointing each bit out.

"Okay, we're good to go" said the Corsair, having put in the activation codes and the co-ordinates for 1562 Tower of London. They all gathered around and held on tight. Zygon-Osgood and Zygon-McGillop arrived just in time to find their leader lying unconscious in a class cabinet.

/

Eleven continued to scratch his message, whilst the Warrior regarded the door thoughtfully. "In theory, I can trigger an isolated sonic shift among the molecules, and the door should disintegrate" he reasoned. Ten dismissed this idea, saying "We'd have to calculate the exact harmonic resonance of the entire structure down to a sub-atomic level. Even the sonic would take years".

"No, no, the sonic would take centuries. Oh, we might as well get started. Help to pass the timey-wimey" the Warrior said sarcastically, sitting down on a small wooden bench. "Do you have to talk like children? What is it that makes you so ashamed of being a grown up? Oh, the way you both look at me. What is that? I'm trying to think of a better word than dread" he commented, eyeing his future selves.

"It must be really recent for you" Ten commented, much to the Warrior's confusion. "Recent?" he asked. Eleven looked over to say, "The Time War, the last day, the day you killed them all".

"The day _we _killed them all".

"Same thing".

Fred appeared on the bench beside the warrior. "Your future is their past. To them, it's set in stone, already happened. They don't realise you haven't done it yet" she told the Warrior. "I don't talk about it" he told her, forgetting for a moment that his other selves couldn't see or hear her. "You're not talking about it. There's no one else here" Ten pointed out, giving him an odd look. Fred put a hand on his shoulder. "You should ask them what you want to know" she prompted.

"Did you ever count?" he asked Ten and Eleven. "Count what?" asked the latter, without looking up from his scratching. "How many children there were on Gallifrey that day" the Warrior elucidated; this time, Eleven did stop scratching. He hadn't thought about that in so long. "I have absolutely no idea".

"How old are you now?"

"Ah, I don't know. I lose track. Twelve hundred and something, I think, unless I'm lying. I can't remember if I'm lying about my age, that's how old I am".

"Four hundred years older than me, and in all that time you've never even wondered how many there were? You never once counted?"

"Tell me…what would be the point?" Eleven asked; it wouldn't bring any of them back, it would only hurt his hearts just as they were healing. Of course, Ten didn't know what he knew. "Two point four seven billion" his past self said bitterly. "You did count!" the Warrior exclaimed, as if an important belief he'd held for years had just been verified. Ten turned to Eleven with a look of betrayal and anger. "You forgot? Four hundred years, is that all it takes?" he asked incredulously.

"I moved on".

"Where? Where can you be now that you can forget something like that?"

"Spoilers".

"No. No, no, no. For once I would like to know where I'm going".

"Oh, I bet you would".

The Warrior watched his future selves stare one another down, and shook his head. "I don't know who you are, either of you. I haven't got the faintest idea" he announced, distracting them from further arguments. Eleven went back to his message. Fred reappeared and told the Warrior, "You will know them one day. They're you, or rather, who you'll become if you destroy Gallifrey. One of them regrets and the other forgets, because he can. The moment is coming. The Moment is me. You need to choose".

"No".

"No?" asked Ten, wondering why the Warrior was talking to himself. Then again, it wasn't anything new. "Just, no" the Warrior said firmly. Eleven sensed the arrival of his wife, daughter and friends…and if he sensed them, then so did… "Can you feel that?" asked Ten, unconsciously touching the back of his head. "Feel what?" Eleven inquired, playing innocent. Ten frowned, puzzled, and said "I thought I could feel…but it's impossible".

"Four hundred years" the Warrior murmured out of the blue. "What's that?" Eleven asked, directing Ten's attention away from the sensation in his mind. The Warrior held up his sonic and explained, "At a software level, they're all the same device, aren't they? Same software, different case".

"Yeah"

"So?"

"So, it would take centuries for the screwdriver to calculate how to disintegrate the door. Scanning the door, implanting the calculation as a permanent subroutine in the software architecture and, if you really are me, with your sandshoes and your dickey bow, and that screwdriver is still mine, that calculation is still going on".

His future selves pulled out their sonics and checked them. "Yeah, still going" Ten confirmed. Eleven held up his sonic and announced, "Calculation complete". Just in time to get out and see Romana again, it seemed. "Seriously, you two aren't sensing what I am?" Ten questioned incredulously. The Warrior's brow creased. "Now that you mention it, I"- he was interrupted by the door being pushed open by a small blonde _Time Lady, _who ran up to Eleven with a gleeful cry of "Daddy!"

Eleven laughed joyfully and scooped her up into his arms, his past selves staring in disbelief as _three _more of their own kind, a Time Lord and two Time Ladies, as well as a human, appeared in the doorway. "Oh, I missed you so much! How did you get in here?" Eleven asked Emily, who shrugged and said, "I just pushed the door open. It wasn't locked".

"What?" This questioning exclamation came from the Tenth Doctor. Eleven couldn't hide his grin; the slack jawed, pop-eyed, utterly flabbergasted look on Ten's face was so worth all the secrecy. "Oh, right, introductions! You both remember Romana, the Corsair and Chancellor Flavia, don't you?" he asked, gesturing to the others, who smiled and waved.

"What?!"

"Oh, and this is my companion, Clara Oswald" –

"Hello"

"And our daughter – Romana's and mine – our daughter Emily Freya Smith" Eleven said as he put Emily back down. Ten stared at the little girl. "_What?!" _

Emily giggled, and then walked up to the Warrior. "Are you the Doctor from the War?" she asked the astonished man, who looked down at her and haltingly replied, "Uh…y-yes, I am". His surprise was magnified tenfold when Emily immediately wrapped her little arms around his waist and gave him a hug. He felt a few tears prick at his eyes as he hesitantly hugged her back. Clara d'awwed at the sight, as did Romana – and then her husband turned her face to his and gave her a loving kiss. Emily let go of the Warrior, smiled at him, and then hugged Ten as well, who knelt down to wrap his arms around her properly.

Suddenly something occurred to Clara. "Hang on. Three of you in one cell, and none of you thought to try the door?" she asked incredulously. The Warrior protested, "It should've been locked". Eleven nodded in agreement and questioned, "Yes. Exactly. Why wasn't it locked?"

"Because I was fascinated to see what you would do upon escaping" explained the Queen, having appeared at the end of the corridor outside. "I understand you're rather fond of this world. It's time I think you saw what's going to happen to it" she informed them, before walking away. Ten straightened up and Emily went up to her dad, slipping her hand into his. "Once more unto the breach and all that?" the Corsair quipped, and Eleven nodded.


	36. The Day of the Doctor - Pt 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who

The Day of the Doctor – Part Four

Osgood snuck back into the Under Gallery, looking for McGillop to see if he might have escaped. She felt terrible for running off the way she did, but she'd just been so _scared…_she heard moaning coming from beneath a dust sheet, and spotted a shoe poking out from underneath it. Osgood pulled the sheet away to find her boss trapped under red suckers. "Kate? Oh goodness, you're not actually dead. Oh, that's tremendous news. Those creatures, they turn themselves into copies. And they need to keep the original alive, refresh the image so to speak" she worked out as she pulled Kate free.

"Where, where did they go?" Kate gasped as she struggled out of the binds. "I don't know" said Osgood, but then she remembered, "Oh, hang on, yes, I do. The Tower" she told Kate, who looked extremely worried. "If those creatures have got access to the Black Archive, we may just have lost control of the planet" she realised. At first she made to leave the Under Gallery, but Osgood quickly told her, "McGillop should be here as well somewhere, help me find him!"

/

Meanwhile, the Queen had led the Time Lords – and Clara – to another area of the dungeons, this one filled with obviously alien technology. "The Zygons lost their own world" she explained, "It burnt in the first days of the Time War. A new home is required".

"So they want this one" Clara deduced, and the Queen replied, "Not yet. It's far too primitive. Zygons are used to a certain level of comfort" she informed Clara. Another Zygon, this one not in disguise, approached them and questioned, "Commander, why are these creatures here?" The Queen regarded it coolly and answered, "Because I say they should be. It is time you too were translated. Observe this" she said to the others, "I believe you will find it fascinating".

The Zygon soldier placed its hand on a glass cube with dented corners, and moments later, he'd vanished, reappearing in one of the paintings from the Under Gallery. "That's him! That's the Zygon in the picture now" Clara said in wonder. The Warrior corrected her, "It's not a picture, it's a stasis cube. Time Lord art. Frozen instants in time, bigger on the inside, but could be deployed as"-

"Suspended animation" Ten interjected, "Oh, that's very good. The Zygons all pop inside the pictures, wait a few centuries till the planet's a bit more interesting, and then out they come".

"You see, Clara, they're stored in the paintings in the Under Gallery, like cup-a-soups. Except you add time, if you can picture that. Nobody could picture that. Forget I said cup-a-soups" Eleven rambled. Unfazed, Clara deduced, "And now the world is worth conquering. So the Zygons are invading the future from the past".

"Exactly".

Ten turned to the Queen and told her, "And do you know why I know that you're a fake? Because you're such a bad copy. It's not just the smell, or the unconvincing hair, or the atrocious teeth, or the eyes just a bit too close together, or the breath that could stun a horse. It's because my Elizabeth, the real Elizabeth, would never be stupid enough to reveal her own plan. Honestly, why would you do that?" he asked her sceptically.

The Queen glowered at him and replied firmly, "Because it's not _my _plan, and I _am _the real Elizabeth".

"…Okay. So, backtracking a moment just to lend context to my earlier remarks…" Ten hedged, trying to save face after that embarrassing mistake. The Corsair sniggered, and then Flavia unceremoniously elbowed him in the side. The Warrior tried to reconcile the ponytailed, trouser wearing, exasperated eye-rolling Flavia with the High Council member he dimly remembered, and couldn't. "My twin is dead in the forest. I am accustomed to taking precautions" Elizabeth explained, pulling a dagger from her garter.

"These Zygon creatures never even considered that it was me who survived rather than their own commander. The arrogance that typifies their kind" she said dismissively. "Zygons?" asked Clara, and Elizabeth scoffed, "Men".

"And you actually killed one of them?"

"I may have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but at the time, so did the Zygon" Elizabeth pointed out, before turning to Ten. "The future of my kingdom is imperilled. Doctor, can I rely on your service?" she asked him. Ten replied, "Well, I'm going to need my TARDIS".

"It has been procured already".

"Ah".

"But first, my love, you have a promise to keep" Elizabeth smiled, and Ten shifted uncomfortably. "Right, um…about that…" he said awkwardly. How could he get out of marrying the Queen of England without offending her? "What promise?" Clara inquired curiously, and Eleven grinned in amusement. "The gallant Doctor asked for my hand in marriage earlier, and I accepted" Elizabeth revealed. Romana turned to Ten, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "You did what?"

"I – it was my plan! I thought she was a Zygon" Ten explained hurriedly, and then Elizabeth raised _her_ eyebrow. "You mean to tell me that your proposal was faked? Hmm, I suppose I should have realised this was so once you accused me of being a shape-shifting alien immediately afterwards. You know, you are fortunate that falsely proposing to the Queen of England is not a crime punishable by _beheading_" she told Ten witheringly. He gulped. "Go and save my kingdom, Doctor, and then I _never _want to see you here again" she added.

_Well, at least now I know why she was so unhappy to see me back when Martha and I met Shakespeare. That's two Queens I've been banished by now _Ten thought glumly as they left the Tower and got into his TARDIS. "Right then, back to the future" he announced as he fired the time machine up. The others piled in, the Time Lords moving from sheer habit to help fly the ship. _Six proper pilots – this is absolutely molto bene brilliant! _Ten thought gleefully.

The Warrior looked about in mild distaste. "You've let this place go a bit" he commented, much to Ten's irritation. "Ah, it's his grunge phase. He grows out of it" Eleven assured the Warrior. Ten patted the console sympathetically. "Don't you listen to them" he murmured to his beloved time machine. An alarm went off, and he winced as the console shocked him slightly. "Ow! The desktop is glitching" he realised.

"Hey, look" Eleven said, "the round things".

"I love the round things".

"What are the round things?"

"No idea".

"They're supposed to be wiring and storage compartments" explained Romana, as she used the friction contrafibulator to stabilise the console room. It shifted one more time into the form her Doctor was using currently. Ten looked about and channelled his second incarnation. "Oh, you've redecorated. I don't like it".

Eleven frowned at him. "Oh. Oh yeah? Oh, you never do. Corsair, you're nearest, put in the co-ordinates for the National Gallery" he instructed. The Corsair leaned on the console and replied, "First off, I don't take orders from you, and second, the Zygons have gone to the Black Archive". All three Doctor's stared at the others, and Clara awkwardly said, "Okay, so you've heard of that place, then".

/

"The equipment here is phenomenal" Zygon-McGillop informed his leader, "The humans don't realise what half this stuff does. We could conquer their world in a day" he announced. The undisguised Zygon stated, "We were fortunate, then, in our choice of duplicate".

"If I were human, I'd say it was Christmas" Zygon-McGillop replied, but then the real McGillop, along with Osgood and Kate entered the Archive. "No, I'm afraid you wouldn't. We're not armed. You may relax" Kate informed the Zygons. The one who had been her duplicate answered scathingly, "We _are _armed. You may not".

Kate turned to Osgood and ordered, "Lock the door. I'm afraid we can't be interrupted. You don't mind if I get comfortable?" she asked the Zygon, walking past the alien to sit down at a table. "You don't mind if I do?" the Zygon asked in turn, transforming into a double of Kate and sitting down opposite her. "You'll realise there are protocols protecting this place. Osgood?" Kate looked over at the scientist, who replied, "In the event of any alien incursion, the contents of this room are deemed so dangerous, it will self-destruct in"-

"Five minutes" finished Kate; an alarm sounded, and a countdown appeared on a machine nearby. "There's a nuclear warhead twenty feet beneath us. Are you sitting comfortably?" she asked her duplicate. Zygon-Kate's eyes narrowed. "You would destroy London?" she asked cynically. Kate didn't even bat an eyelid. "To save the world, yes, I would".

"You're bluffing".

"You really think so? Somewhere in your memory is a man called Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge Stewart. I am his daughter".

"Science leads, Kate. Is this what you meant? Is this what your father meant?" Eleven's voice rang through the air, much to the surprise of humans and Zygons alike. "Doctor?" Kate asked in confusion. "Space-Time Telegraph, Kate. A gift from me to your father, hotline straight to the TARDIS" he explained from within the console room of his past-self's TARDIS. "I know about the Black Archive and I know about the security protocol. Kate, please, _please_ tell me you are not about to do something unbelievably stupid".

"I'm sorry, Doctor. Switch it off".

"Not as sorry as you will be. This is not a decision you will ever be able to live with" Ten insisted desperately. "I said, switch it off"

"No, Kate, please. Just listen to me!" Eleven cried, but the line went dead. They tried to land the TARDIS, but to no avail. "The Tower of London, totally TARDIS-proof" Ten grumbled as the TARDIS shook with the strain of trying to materialise. "How can they do that?" asked Clara, and Eleven sighed. "Alien technology plus human stupidity; trust me, it's unbeatable".

The Warrior looked at the stasis cube they'd taken from the Tower of London, and had an idea. "We don't need to land" he announced, much to the other's confusion. "Yeah, we do. A tiny bit. Try and keep up" Ten prompted, wondering if the older man had lost it or was going senile or something. The Warrior shook his head. "No, we don't. We don't. There is another way" he said, holding up the stasis cube, "Cup-a-soup….What is cup-a-soup?"

The other Time Lords looked at one another. "That could actually work" said Romana, impressed, "but we'll need a painting to send ourselves into".

"Yeah, but the Zygons are in every painting, more or less" the Corsair pointed out. Emily held her hand up, like she was answering questions in class. "Um…there is _one _painting the Zygons won't have gone into" she pointed out. Romana and Eleven looked at one another. "It'll be dangerous" she said. He nodded and answered, "I think we can put the whole TARDIS in the painting, that ought to be a bit safer".

Romana and the other Time Lords set to work on making that possible, whilst Eleven phoned McGillop. "McGillop" he said when he picked up. "Take a look at your phone and confirm who you're talking to" Eleven said firmly.

"But that's not possible. I was just"-

"You were just talking to me. I know. I'm a time traveller, figure it out. I need you to send the Gallifrey Falls painting to the Black Archive. Understood?"

"Understood, sir. But why would I take it there?"

"No time to explain, just do it straightaway".

/

Back in the Black Archive, the countdown had reached 2:59 and counting. "One word from you would cancel the countdown" stated Zygon-Kate, and the real Kate nodded. "Quite so" she replied.

"It's keyed to your voice print".

"And mine alone".

"Cancel the detonation!"

"Countermanded"

"Cancel the detonation"

"Countermanded"

"We only have to agree to live".

"Sadly, we can only agree to die".

Osgood, the real Osgood, put her hands together and prayed, "Please, Doctor, Time Lords, save us. Please save us, please save us, please save us" she whispered. Then she got the shock of her life when an exploded Dalek and then the TARDIS crashed out of the painting of Gallifrey Falls. Three versions of the same Time Lord emerged from the blue box. "Hello" greeted the Warrior. "I'm the Doctor" Ten continued. "Sorry about the Dalek" Eleven finished.

"Also the showing off" Clara added as she and the others stepped out of the TARDIS. Eleven walked up to the desk and demanded, "Kate Lethbridge Stewart, what in the name of sanity are you doing?"

"The countdown can only be halted at my personal command. There's nothing you can do" Kate insisted, but the Doctors were unfazed. "Except make you both agree to halt it" replied Ten, but Kate shook her head resolutely. "Not even three of you".

"You're about to murder millions of people" the Warrior reminded her, but Kate stood her ground stubbornly. "To save billions. How many times have you made that calculation?" she asked the Doctors, as the countdown moved down to 1:36. "Once" Eleven stated, "Turned me into the man I am now. I'm not even sure who that is any more".

"You tell yourself it's justified, but it's a lie" Ten insisted, "Because what I did that day was wrong. Just wrong".

"And, because I got it wrong, I'm going to make you get it right".

"How?" asked Kate. Ten and Eleven pulled up chairs and sat down, crossing their feet up on the table. "Any second now, you're going to stop that countdown. Both of you, together" Ten informed the two Kates. "Then you're going to negotiate the most perfect treaty of all time" added Eleven.

"Safeguards all round, completely fair on both sides".

"And the key to perfect negotiation?"

"Not knowing what side you're on".

"So, for the next few hours, until we decide to let you out"-

"No one in this room will be able to remember if they're human"-

"Or Zygon" finished Eleven, jumping up on the table and aiming his sonic at the memory filter in the ceiling, "Whoops a daisy!"

The humans and disguised Zygons looked befuddled for a moment, before they realised what was going on. "Cancel the detonation!" both Kates cried simultaneously. The countdown stopped at five seconds, and everyone breathed a sigh in relief. "Peace in our time" Eleven smiled, jumping off the table and winding his arm around Romana, giving her a kiss.

/

Whilst the two Kates discussed the treaty, the two Osgood's talked to each other as well. "It's funny, isn't it" said one of them, "If I'm a Zygon, then my clothes must be Zygon, too. So, what happens if I lose a shoe or something?" she wondered. The other Osgood nearly laughed, but ended up coughing instead. Her eyes widened when her double held out her inhaler, putting a finger to her lips. Osgood nodded to the Zygon-her and took the inhaler back with a grateful smile.

Meanwhile, Emily was showing Clara the pictures of the Doctor's past companions, and naming them all. Then they went over to the Warrior, who was sitting in a red wing backed chair. He gave Emily a tentative smile; she returned it happily and climbed into his lap, resting her head on his chest. She was so fearless and trusting of him, it was…mind boggling. "Hello" Clara said gently, hanging back a bit. The Warrior smiled up at her. "Hello" he replied, absently stroking Emily's blonde locks. She had Romana's hair, he realised, and his fourth self's eyes.

"I'm Clara. We haven't really met yet".

"I look forward to it. Is there a problem?"

"The Doctor, I mean, Emily's dad – he didn't talk about it before now. The day he did it, I mean. The day he wiped out the Time Lords to stop the war".

"Well…he's moved on".

"Um, he hasn't really" said Emily, sitting up, "he was upset when he told me, when I was sixteen. But we all forgive him and I think that helps a lot" she added. Clara then said, "But you wouldn't talk about it, because you haven't done it yet. It's still in your future".

"You're very sure of yourself".

"He regrets it. I see it in his eyes every day. He'd do anything to change it".

"Including saving all these people" the Warrior replied, "How many worlds has his regret saved, do you think? Look over there; Humans and Zygons working together in peace. How did you know?" he asked Clara. "Your eyes, you're so much younger" she replied. The Warrior sighed. "Then, all things considered, it's time I grew up. I've seen all I needed. The moment has come" he murmured, looking up at Fred as he gently nudged Emily off of his lap and stood up. "I'm ready" he told her. "I know you are" she replied, holding a hand out to him.

"Who's there, who're you talking to?" asked Clara, as the Warrior reached out to grasp Fred's hand…and then promptly vanished.

/

He stood in front of the Moment, the device itself, with its ruby like button standing on a stalk. "You did wonder why there wasn't a big red button" Fred pointed out, "once you've pressed that, it's all over. No more Time Lords, or Daleks. Are you sure?"

"I was sure when I came in here. There is no other way" the Warrior replied, but it sounded more like he was trying to convince himself than her. "You've seen the men you will become" she reminded him, and he smiled slightly. "Those men…extraordinary".

"They were you".

"No, they are the Doctor".

"You're the Doctor as well".

"No. Great men are forged in fire. It is the privilege of lesser men to light the flame, whatever the cost" the Warrior replied, his hand hovering over the button as he recalled children laughing and playing in the fields of Gallifrey, back before it all fell apart. "The sound the TARDIS makes when it lands" Fred said out of the blue, "it's a sound that brings hope wherever it goes".

"Yes. Yes, I like to think it does" the Warrior agreed, but Fred wasn't finished. "Wherever it goes, to whoever hears it, it brings hope…even to you" she smiled as the familiar wheezing sound filled the barn. Two TARDISes materialised; Eleven, Romana, Emily and Clara stepped out of one, whilst Ten, the Corsair and Flavia stepped out of the other. "I told you, he hasn't done it yet" Clara told the Doctors.

"Go away now, all of you. This is for me" the Warrior insisted without looking around. _How can they let Emily see this? _"These events should be time-locked" said Ten, "We shouldn't even be here".

"Let's not look gift horses in the mouth, Doctor" the Corsair suggested, and the Warrior tried once more to get them to leave. "You've given me hope, and I can never repay you for that. Go back to your lives. Go and be the Doctor that I could never be. Make it worthwhile". His future selves walked around on either side of him. The others stood back, watching.

"All those years, burying you in my memory" Ten began, and Eleven continued, "Pretending you didn't exist. Keeping you a secret, even from myself".

"Pretending you weren't the Doctor, when you were the Doctor more than anybody else".

"You were the Doctor on the day it wasn't _possible_ to get it right".

"But this time" said Ten, as he placed his hand over the Warrior's atop the button – "You don't have to do it alone" Eleven finished, putting his hand atop both of theirs. Tears filled the Warrior's eyes. "Thank you" he murmured. All three Doctor's took a deep breath. "What we do today is not out of fear or hatred. It is done because there is no other way".

"And it is done in the name of the many lives we are failing to save". Eleven looked over to Romana, and Emily. _I'm sorry _he told them, and then his eyes slid over to Clara. She shook her head slightly. "What? What is it? What?" he asked her.

"Nothing"

"No, it's something. Tell me" he insisted, walking up to her and putting his hands on her shoulders. "You told me you wiped out your own people. I just… I never pictured you doing it, that's all" she explained. The room went dark all of a sudden. "What's happening?" Clara asked nervously, but Romana reassured her, "It's just a projection, Clara". A heart-breaking projection, of Gallifrey at war…Clara looked at the fleeing civilians and fighting soldiers in dismay. "These are the people you're going to burn?"

"There was nothing he could have done" Romana defended her husbands. Eleven gave her a grateful glance and continued, "There isn't another way. There never was. Either I destroy my own people or let the universe burn" he said helplessly. Clara just couldn't accept it though. "Look at you, the three of you; the warrior, the hero, and you" she looked at Eleven, who looked back at her and questioned, "And what am I?"

Romana answered, "My husband".

Emily smiled and said, "My dad!"

The Corsair smirked and added, "A little bit crazy".

Flavia finished, "and a good man".

"Romana told me that the name you chose was like a promise" said Clara, "what was the promise?" she asked the Doctors. The projection changed, from night, to daytime when there was a lull in the battle. "Never cruel or cowardly" Ten murmured, as they saw people emerging from the wreckage they'd been hiding from the Daleks in, blinking in the sunlight. "Never give up, never give in" the Warrior added, as the projection vanished.

The Doctor's looked at one another. Ten recognised the look on his future-self's face; it was the look they always got when they had a brilliant, insane idea. "You're not actually suggesting that we change our own personal history?" he asked warily. Eleven replied, "We change history all the time. I'm suggesting far worse".

"What, exactly?" inquired the Warrior. Eleven looked over at his wife and daughter, and then back to his past-selves. "Gentlemen, I have had four hundred years to think about this. I've changed my mind" he announced, pointing his sonic at the Moment and shutting it off. "There's still a billion, billion Daleks up there, attacking" the Warrior reminded him. Eleven grinned. "Yeah, there is, there is" he agreed, and Ten added, "But there's something those billion, billion Daleks don't know".

"Because if they did, they'd probably send for reinforcements" Eleven said confidently. "What are you talking about?" asked Flavia, and the Doctor grinned at her. "This time, there's_ six _Time Lords" he replied. The Warrior's eyes widened. "Oh! Oh, yes, that is good. That is brilliant!" he cheered, and then Ten exclaimed, "Oh, oh, oh, I'm getting that too! That is brilliant!"

"Ha, ha, ha! I've been thinking about it for centuries" Eleven grinned. The Warrior was smiling widely. "She didn't just show me any old future, she showed me exactly the future I needed to see" he realised, and Fred replied, "You're welcome".

"Wait, who showed you what?" the Corsair asked in bewilderment, but the Warrior ignored him. "Oh, Fred, I could kiss you" he announced, and Romana stared at him in surprise. "What did you say?" she asked; he looked at her, and then both their eyes widened as they realised...

Clara asked, "So what are we doing? What's the plan?" The Warrior turned to her and explained, "The Dalek fleets are surrounding Gallifrey, firing on it constantly".

"The Sky Trench is holding, but what if the whole planet just disappeared?" Ten asked, and Clara looked sceptical. "Tiny bit of an ask" she said uncertainly. Ten elucidated, "The Daleks would be firing on each other. They'd destroy themselves in their own crossfire".

"Gallifrey would be gone, the Daleks would be destroyed, and it would look to the rest of the universe as if they'd annihilated each other" the Warrior continued. The other Time Lords, even Emily, realised what they were planning, but Clara was still a bit lost. "But where would Gallifrey be?" she asked, and the three Doctors replied, "Frozen. Frozen in an instant of time, safe and hidden away" –

"Exactly"-

"Like a _painting_".


	37. The Day of the Doctor - Pt 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who

The Day of the Doctor – Part Five

The War Room of Gallifrey was in shambles; barely organised chaos reigned, and to top it all off, they had just received another message. "Are you sure the message is from him?" the General demanded, and Androgar replied with certainty, "Oh, yes".

"Why would he do that?" the General wondered as they stared at the message, 'Gallifrey Stands' , "What's the mad fool talking about now?" To his surprise, a holographic monitor appeared above the table. "Hello, hello, Gallifrey High Command, this is the Doctor speaking" Eleven introduced himself. Then another holo-monitor blinked into existence. "Hello! Also the Doctor. Can you hear me?" Ten asked, before a _third _screen popped up. "Also the Doctor, standing ready" the War Doctor announced.

The General stared at them in dismay. "Dear God, three of them. All my worst nightmares at once" he lamented. Ten informed him, "General, we have a plan". Eleven interrupted to say "We should point out, at this moment, it is a fairly terrible plan"-

"And almost certainly won't work".

"I was happy with fairly terrible".

"They're not going to have much confidence in the plan if you talk about it like that, dear" said an unfamiliar female voice off screen. "Who's that?" the General demanded, and Eleven moved aside to gesture to a Time Lady working at the console behind him. "My wife, Romanadvotrelundar – oh, and our daughter Emeya" he added, lifting a little girl up to the 'camera'. She waved enthusiastically at them before her father put her back down. "We're flying our three TARDISes into your lower atmosphere" he explained.

"We're positioned at equidistant intervals around the globe" Ten continued, adding to himself, "Equidistant, so grown up".

"We're just about ready to do it" added the War Doctor, and the General questioned, "Ready to do what?"

"We're going to freeze Gallifrey".

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Using our TARDISes, we're going to freeze Gallifrey in a single moment in time" Ten elucidated, and the War Doctor added, "You know, like those stasis cubes? A single moment in time, held in a parallel pocket universe" –

"Except we're going to do it to a whole planet" –

"And everyone on it".

The General couldn't believe what he was hearing. "What? Even if that were possible, which it isn't, why would you do such a thing?" he questioned. Eleven fixed him with a serious stare and replied, "Because the alternative is burning".

"And I've seen that".

"And I never want to see it again".

"We'd be lost in another universe, frozen in a single moment. We'd have nothing" the General insisted. Romana stepped up beside her husband and told him, "That's not true, General. You would have _hope_". Eleven nodded in agreement and added, "Yes, and right now, that is exactly what you don't have".

"It's delusional" the General protested, "The calculations alone would take hundreds of years!"

"Oh, hundreds and hundreds" Eleven agreed, and then Ten continued, "But don't worry, I started a very long time ago". Another screen appeared, this one with the first incarnation of the renegade. "Calling the War Council of Gallifrey. This is the Doctor".

"You might say I've been doing this all my lives" Eleven grinned as more and more holo-monitors blinked into being above the table; the second, third, fourth, eighth, fifth, seventh, sixth and ninth Doctors.

"Good luck"

"Standing by"

"Ready"

"Commencing calculations"

"Soon be there"

"Across the boundaries that divide one universe from another"

"Just got to lock on to his coordinates"

"And for my next trick"

The expression on the General's face had shifted from dismay to outright horror. "I didn't know when I was well off. All twelve of them!" he complained. Androgar's eyes widened, and he exclaimed, "No sir, all thirteen!", as another hologram appeared. The room trembled as the battle outside raged on. "Sir! The Daleks know that something is happening. They're increasing their fire power" Androgar warned the General, who struggled with his decision for a moment. "Do it, Doctor. Just do it" he ordered at last, "Just do it".

Eleven nodded to him, and turned to his console. "Okay" he said solemnly, "Gentlemen, we're ready. Geronimo!"

"Allons-y!"

The War Doctor rolled his eyes, "Oh, for God's sake. Gallifrey stands!" he announced proudly. Thirteen TARDISes raced towards Gallifrey, surrounded it, and then – whiteout.

/

In a private room in the National Gallery, seven Gallifreyans and one human observed the 'Gallifrey Falls' painting. Eleven stood on one side of the painting, his arm around Romana's shoulders as she held a mug of tea; Ten stood on the other side, next to the Corsair. Clara sat on a nearby bench between Flavia and the War Doctor, whilst Emily stood in front of her parents, slurping a Capri-Sun.

"I don't suppose we'll know if we actually succeeded" the War Doctor commented, "But at worst, we failed doing the right thing, as opposed to succeeding in doing the wrong" he finished. Clara raised an eyebrow at him and commented jokingly, "Life and soul, you are". Emily took the straw from her mouth to say, "I bet you saved Gallifrey; we've just gotta find it again", she looked up at her father and asked, "If we do find it, can we invite your other selves and their friends to a big 'Hooray We Found Our Home Planet Again' party?"

Eleven chuckled and ruffled her hair fondly. "I think all of them might be a bit of a stretch, sweetheart, but we'll see" he replied. Satisfied, Emily went back to her juice. Ten gestured to the painting and wondered aloud, "What is it actually called?"

"Well, there's some debate. Either 'No More' or 'Gallifrey Falls'"

"Not very encouraging" the War Doctor commented. Eleven shrugged. "How did it get here?" asked Ten.

"No idea".

"There's always something we don't know, isn't there?"

"One should certainly hope so" said the War Doctor as he got to his feet, "Well, gentlemen, it has been an honour and a privilege" he told his future selves, who nodded and smiled.

"Likewise"

"Doctor"

The War Doctor nodded to Flavia and the Corsair, the latter throwing him a salute. He kissed Romana's hand like a gentlemen, and turned to Clara. "And if I grow to be half the man that you are, Clara Oswald, I shall be happy indeed" he added to his future companion, who grinned and nodded. "That's right, aim high" she agreed. Emily stepped up to give him a hug goodbye; as he hugged her back, the War Doctor looked at his future selves and asked, "I won't remember this, will I?"

"The time streams are out of sync. You can't retain it, no" Eleven informed him. The War Doctor sighed, and let Emily go. "So I won't remember that I tried to save Gallifrey rather than burn it, or that I won't be as alone as I'll believe. I'll have to live with that. But for now, for this moment, I am the Doctor again. Thank you" he smiled gratefully, before turning to the three TARDISes parked against the wall. "Which one is mine? Ha!" he laughed, stepping into the most battered TARDIS.

Ten looked at Romana, who smiled at him, and stepped forward to hug him. "Don't look so sad. This isn't goodbye, Doctor. It's just, 'see you later'" she reminded Ten; he chuckled and replied, "I look forward to it". He shook the Corsair's and Flavia's hands, and Emily hugged him once more. "It was nice meeting you" she smiled shyly. "The pleasure's all mine, Emily" he replied, before straightening up and turning to his future-self. "It's good to know my future is in safe hands. See you later, Clara".

"See you later, Doctor" she answered. Ten stepped into the TARDIS without the St John Ambulance sticker, and dematerialised. "He'll be fine" the Doctor said confidently, "after all, it won't be long until he's me, and then he'll be one step closer to seeing you again" he added tenderly to Romana, who smiled at him and stroked his cheek. The Gallifreyans looked at 'Gallifrey Falls' once more. "Need a moment alone with your painting?" asked Clara with a knowing smile.

Romana nodded. "Thank you, Clara" she told her honorary sister, and then Flavia added, "Yes, thank you – for everything". Clara smiled at them all, and moved towards the TARDIS. Before stepping inside, she paused and said, "Oh, by the way, there was an old man looking for you. I think it was the curator". Then she went inside the time machine.

The Doctor sat down with Emily on his lap. "I could be a curator" he suggested; Romana's lips twitched in amusement. "Hey, don't laugh. I'd be great at curating. I'd be the Great Curator. I could retire and do that. I could retire and be the curator of this place" he mused thoughtfully. Then a familiar, yet impossible voice remarked, "You know, I really think you might".

Romana could hardly believe her eyes; the elderly man who entered the room looked so much like the fourth Doctor, but it couldn't be…could it? "Do I know you?" she asked curiously, and the curator smiled at her. "I don't believe so, but you might one day, my dear", he winked, and then gestured to the painting. "You were curious about this painting, I think. I acquired it in remarkable circumstances. What do you make of the title?" he asked the Doctor.

"Which title? There's two. No More or Gallifrey Falls" the Doctor replied, but then the curator explained, "Oh, you see, that's where everybody's wrong. It's all one title. 'Gallifrey Falls No More'. Now, what would you think that means, eh?" he inquired. The Time Lords looked at one another in dawning comprehension and excitement. "That Gallifrey didn't fall" the Doctor guessed, "It worked. It's still out there".

The curator simply said, "I'm only a humble curator. I'm sure I wouldn't know"; but there was a definite twinkle in his eyes. "I wonder where it could be" Emily speculated, and the curator chuckled. "Where is it indeed? Lost, shh...perhaps; things do get lost, you know. And now you must excuse me. Oh, you all have a lot to do" he told the Time Quintet. "Really?" inquired Romana. The Doctor smiled eagerly and asked, "Is that what we're supposed to do now? Go looking for Gallifrey?"

"Oh, it's entirely up to you. Your choice, eh? I can only tell you what I would do if I were you. Oh, if I were you. Oh, perhaps I was you, of course. Or perhaps you are me. Congratulations" the curator rambled. The Doctor beamed. "Thank you very much".

"Or perhaps it doesn't matter either way. Who knows, eh? Who knows?" He tapped his nose, and then left them alone. The five of them looked at one another, and grinned slowly. It wasn't over yet; they might have saved their planet from destruction, and now they could go looking for it, bring it back to its place amongst the stars. They went back into the TARDIS, where Clara was waiting for them. _Look out Gallifrey _the Doctor thought happily as they dematerialised, _here we come. _

/

_Clara sometimes asks us if we dream. Of course we dream, we tell her; everybody dreams. "But what do you all dream about?" she'll ask. The same thing everybody dreams about, we tell her. We dream about where we're going. She always laughs at that. "But you're not going anywhere, you're just wandering about"._

Twelve Time Lords, and three Time Ladies, stood gazing out amongst the stars. The fourteenth joined them, standing beside his wife, one of each of their hands resting on their daughter's shoulders.

_That's not true. Not anymore. We have a new destination. Our journey is the same as yours, the same as anyone's. It's taken us so many years, so many lifetimes, but at last we know where we are going._

On his left stood Flavia, and his tenth, ninth, seventh, fifth and third incarnations. On his right stood Romana, the Corsair, the War Doctor, and his eighth, sixth, fourth, and second incarnations. His first stood right behind them, and all of them looked up at a large golden planet, rich with possibilities, hanging in the sky.

_Where we've always been going. Home, the long way round. _


	38. A Story to Tell - Pt 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who

A/N: All the 'short stories' in these chapters are happening simultaneously (more or less). Also, I apologise for any emotional whiplash you may find yourself experiencing. There are feels ahead, be warned!

A Story to Tell – Part One

A few days after what Emily deemed 'the coolest adventure ever', she was invited out for pizza by Maria and the twins. The four of them ordered the 'split' pizza, with two different toppings on either side – ham and pineapple, and pepperoni. "So how've you guys been?" asked Emily as she munched on a slice of cheesy pepperoni pizza. Liam swallowed his mouthful and answered, "Pretty good – Josh and I joined UNIT". Emily perked up in interest. "Really?" she asked curiously.

"Yeah, it's something we've always wanted to do, ever since we first heard about UNIT. I mean, who wouldn't want to join an army to defend the planet from invading aliens?" Joshua inquired rhetorically, before taking another bite of pizza. "I know the Head Scientific Advisor of UNIT, Kate Stewart. Her dad worked with my dad back in the seventies. I can put in a good word for you, if you want" Emily explained. The twins shook their heads. "Nah, we don't want any favours. It's probably better if we work our way up the old fashioned way, you know? Thanks for the offer though, Em" said Liam.

Emily smiled. "No problem. Hey, me and my family saw Kate a few days ago; we helped her stop an invasion of Zygons" she revealed.

"What're Zygons?"

"Big red aliens covered in suckers, that can transform into anything they want" explained Emily, "You see, they hid in Time Lord paintings that were bigger on the inside, and it was like suspended animation, so they could wait until"-

"Whoa, hang on, Time Lord paintings? Where would they get Time Lord paintings from, I thought your species were all gone?"

"Um, I don't know actually, but that's not really important. The Zygons had…crash landed, I suppose, in the Elizabethan Era, and they were using the paintings as suspended animation to wait until the Earth was more developed".

"So how did you stop them?"

"They hid in a place that was TARDIS proof, so we used their own trick with the paintings and put the TARDIS in a painting, that we got sent to that place, and then we burst out of it. Then my dad and his other selves made the Zygons and humans forget which ones they were, so they'd have to work together and negotiate a fair treaty".

"Um, Emily, what do you mean, your dad and his other selves?"

"Oh yeah! Two other incarnations of my dad were there. The one from before he found my mum again, and the one from the Time War".

"So, there was like, an evil version of your dad there?" asked Joshua, as Emily had another bite of pizza. She frowned and chewed harder, speaking before she'd fully swallowed. "What? No, the War Doctor wasn't _evil_, that's daft. I just told you he helped my other dads stop the Zygons, weren't you listening?"

"Why were your dad's past versions there in the first place? I thought you said you weren't supposed to cross your timelines or something" Maria recalled. Emily shrugged and replied, "We're not, but it happens by accident sometimes. The tenth Doctor was investigating the Zygons in Elizabethan times already; my dad and the War Doctor went through time fissures – they're like portals" she added in lieu of her friends' confused stares.

"Oh, cool" Liam decided, as he devoured yet another slice of ham and pineapple. "You guys won't ever guess what the tenth version of my dad did" Emily grinned cheekily. The three humans looked at her expectantly, so Emily leaned forward and revealed, "He thought _Queen Elizabeth the First _was a Zygon, so he proposed to her to try and catch her out, and she said yes! He nearly ended up marrying the Virgin Queen!" she giggled. The twins blinked. "I don't get it" Joshua admitted.

Maria rolled her eyes and said, "That's because you guys never paid attention in history class. So, I'm guessing your dad _didn't _marry Queen Elizabeth" she surmised, looking at Emily. The young Time Lady shook her head and replied, "Nah, she worked out he was faking it and banished him instead. Oh, but I haven't told you about the coolest thing that happened that day" she realised. How could she have forgotten to mention _that _little fact?

"What happened?"

"So, you know how the Zygons were using paintings like suspended animation? Well, before he came to the future and met us, the War Doctor had been just about to…to end the Time War for good, with a super powerful weapon called The Moment. The Moment was sentient, it had a conscience, and it and Clara – my dad's companion – they convinced my dad's to change their minds. Then they got all their incarnations, even the ones from the future, to help put Gallifrey and all the Time Lords into suspended animation and hide them in a pocket dimension.

"So, Gallifrey would vanish, the Daleks would blow each other up in the crossfire, and it would look like they'd all been destroyed. The past incarnations of my dad forgot about saving Gallifrey, but he remembers now, and we're going to find it again one day".

"But how do you know Gallifrey isn't gone?"

"The painting we used to get into the TARDIS proof place, it was a painting with two names. 'No More' and 'Gallifrey Falls'. But then the curator told us that you were meant to put the two names _together_ – 'Gallifrey Falls No More'".

"The curator of what?"

"The Under Gallery – it's a long story, guys" Emily waved off their questions, "You'll probably learn about in UNIT training anyway. So, Maria, how is your Marine Biology course going?" she asked Maria, who beamed and replied. "Oh, it's going great! Thanks for asking". She eagerly began explaining everything she'd been up to at university, studying to become a doctor of science.

She was just telling them a funny anecdote when a few people she knew from university walked past. "Hey, Maria, what's up? Are you babysitting that kid there?" asked a dark haired youth, gesturing to Emily, who shrank down in her seat a little. Maria levelled a deadpan stare at him and replied coolly, "Actually, Emily here is one of my best friends".

"Yeah, ours too; she's really cool" Liam insisted. Maria's fellow students scoffed in disbelief. "It's true, and if you don't believe us, you can just leave. Nobody's keeping you here" Maria added. The youth who'd first spoken opened his mouth to say something, when a scream erupted from the other side of the pizzeria. A little gremlin like alien jumped onto a table, screeching and scaring the living daylights out of the patrons and waiters alike. "Oh my freaking God, what _is _that thing!" the black haired student yelled in fright.

Liam and Joshua leapt to their feet and ran towards the alien. "Nobody panic, we're with UNIT!" Joshua announced to the room at large, whilst Liam cautiously approached the gremlin armed with a plastic chair. "Liam Noble, UNIT agent. You're under arrest. State your name and planet of origin" he ordered, trying to sound authoritative and well, like he actually knew what he was doing. The alien didn't want to co-operate; it snarled at him, and crouched ready to spring, when Emily began making the oddest noises – and the alien actually looked right at her.

"_Excuse me? That's one of my friends you were about to attack"_

"_You…speak my tongue?"_

"_Yes, I can speak your language. Why are you on Earth? Did your spaceship crash? If it did, I'm sure my dad could fix it"_

"_My spaceship has not crashed! This, puny Earthling, is an invasion!" _

"_Um, actually, I'm not from Earth. Also, if this is an invasion, where are the rest of you? Why would you start your invasion of Earth in a pizzeria?"_

"_For the element of surprise, foolish mortal!" _

"_You don't have to shout. I'm not exactly mortal, either; I'm a Time Lady. I think I know what's happening here though – your ship is powered by solar energy, right?" _

"…_Um…" _

"_I bet there was a big solar flare that knocked you out of your trajectory and down to Earth, and now you can't fix your ship and you're acting out because you're scared you won't get home again"._

"_You…" _

"_Don't worry. I'm sure we can help you, but you can't just go around throwing tantrums and lying to people. Now, where's your spaceship?" _

"…_In the dumpster"._

"_Oh, sorry; let me see if my friends will help get it out of there for you. _Liam, Josh, he says his spaceship landed in the dumpster; could you get it out for him so I can see if I could fix it?" she asked the twins in English, apparently oblivious to the fact that they and everyone else in the restaurant were staring at her in disbelief. "Um…yeah, we can do that" Liam replied. Emily gave them a thumbs up and turned back to the gremlin-alien. "_Come on, out this way_" she beckoned, leading him out the door.

Liam, Joshua and Maria followed; on her way out, Maria passed the student who had asked about Emily in the first place, and smirked at him as she shut his slack jaw with an audible snap.

/

"Alright, class, that's everything for today. Don't forget, your essays are due in on Monday, so I hope that you've all put in proper effort and not just left it to the last minute" Professor Pond, Ancient Earth History teacher at Luna University, told her students even as they filed towards the door. As soon as the last one had left, Melody exited the lecture hall via a side door and made her way to her office, receiving polite and smiling greetings from the students and staff she passed on the way.

She and her sister had both gotten posts at Luna University after she'd completed her studies in between time travelling to archaeological digs with River. Melody decided to teach Earth History, because with all the trips she'd taken to her home planets past courtesy of the Time Quartet, she could describe what occurred with great detail. A lot of her students claimed that it was as if she'd actually been there; how little they all knew.

Once alone in her office, with a 'Do Not Disturb' sign posted clearly on the door, Melody switched on her computer. She then proceeded to open up a channel linked to the mainframe of the Library. Not too long after the whole debacle on Trenzalore, the Corsair had visited her, and together they had come up with a way for Melody and River to communicate in spite of the latter having been downloaded into a super-computer.

When the connection established, the face of a young girl appeared on the screen. "Hello, Charlotte" Melody greeted the avatar of the Library's mainframe, "Is River home?" she inquired. Charlotte nodded and replied, "I'll just go and fetch her". She walked off screen, and in mere moments had returned with River in tow. "Melody, hello; how are you?" the blonde woman asked her ginger 'twin', smiling in surprise. "I'm fine, thanks. I just wanted to…actually; I don't know why I wanted to talk to you. I just feel like…something really amazing has happened".

"I know what you mean. Just a few days ago, I was outside in the gardens – well, if you can call it 'outside' – but yes, I definitely felt…happy, all of a sudden, and I've no idea why. It was like something extremely positive had occurred. Did the same thing happen to you?"

"It did, and in the middle of a lecture no less. I've just been so busy lately that this is the first time I've gotten a chance to talk to you about it. What do you suppose happened?"

"I think I can answer that" the Corsair remarked from the doorway. Melody jumped up and hurried to embrace him. "Corsair! Are the others here as well?" she asked curiously. He shook his head and held up his wrist, showing the Vortex Manipulator strapped to it. "Where did you get that?" asked River from the screen. The Corsair pulled up a spare seat and grinned at her. "Hello to you too, River; as for where I got this, let's just say that a certain UNIT owned archive is going to be somewhat low on stock until they get their security tightened. But never mind that, you want to know what's happened".

He spent the next ten minutes detailing what had occurred on the 23rd of November, and when he was finished, both River and Melody had to restrain themselves from squealing. After all, they were mature and well-travelled women of learning now, not silly school girls…okay, so they did squee a bit. "You're serious? Gallifrey is really safe?" Melody asked eagerly; she was having a bit of trouble wrapping her mind around the notion. "Well, as safe as a planet sealed away in a different dimension out of regular time and space can be" the Corsair replied.

"That's…this is incredible, it's brilliant news" River announced, "but there's one thing I don't understand…how we sensed it, if that is what we both sensed. I mean, we're not even proper Time Ladies" she pointed out. The Corsair rubbed his stubble thoughtfully. "Well, you have the basic genetic make-up of Gallifreyans, albeit with more human mixed in than usual. Members of our species have always had a…a connection, a 'shared history' as the Doctor put it once apparently. The best I can figure is that everyone with Gallifreyan in their genetics was affected by the change in the timelines".

"Fascinating" River observed, and Melody laughed. "I bet you wish you could study this 'weird phenomenon', don't you sis?" she inquired with a cheeky grin. "Yes, I do actually…in fact, I bet there's a book somewhere in here on the Time Lords. I'm going to see if there's anything I can find about this sort of thing happening before. Corsair, Melody, we just might have stumbled on something huge here!" River said excitedly, her curls flying about her face. "The Doctor's visiting Jenny at Torchwood right now; I'll ask him later if she sensed anything similar" the Corsair promised.

They spent some more time just catching up with one another, and then it was nearly time for Melody to resume teaching. After she and the Corsair had bidden goodbye to River, Melody turned to the Time Lord and asked "Do you think I could use your Vortex Manipulator for a moment? I um…I want to visit Anthony's grave" she explained. The Corsair held out the wrist with the Manipulator strapped to it. "Only if I come along as well" he replied. Melody smiled gratefully, and then took some flowers from a vase on her desk.

An input of co-ordinates and a crackling flash later, the two of them were standing in a windswept graveyard on Earth, London to be precise. It was early evening, and the sun was just setting over the skyline. The Corsair's aim had been pinpoint accurate, with Anthony's gravestone standing right there in front of them.

**Anthony Brian Williams**

**Died 85**

**Those We Lose **

**Return in Dreams **

**And Memories **

The lilies had gotten a little scorched by travel through the Time Vortex, put they were still presentable. Melody walked up beside the grave and placed them with great care in front of the gravestone. "Hello, little brother. I miss you, and mum and dad. Say hello to them for me…I wanted to tell you something, something amazing. You know how mum and dad told us the Time Quartet were the last of their kinds? Well, that might not be true anymore. The Corsair told me and River that they saved Gallifrey. It's a long story though, so I won't bore you with it" she said, valiantly battling back the tears.

"I don't visit often enough, I know. I'm just so busy, and…it hurts too much. You were a wonderful brother, Anthony. Sometimes I feel so alone...I'm so glad the Corsair is around. He's the one who brought me here to visit, and he helped me speak to River again. I wish there was a way to talk to you again" sighed Melody, before slowly rising to her feet. "Till the next time, little bro" she murmured, tears falling down her cheeks. She walked away from the gravestone and into the Corsair's arms.

He hugged her until the sun went down fully, and only twilight illuminated their surroundings. As she cried softly into his shoulder, and he shed a few tears of his own, the Corsair looked up at the stars and spotted something…rather interesting. "Hey. Look up there" he gestured, pointing up at a patch of sky. There wasn't much to set it apart from the rest of the blanket of dark blue and black; except for the three stars, twinkling more brightly than the others, two above and the smaller one below. "I think they're saying hello" he murmured. Melody smiled through her tears, lifted her hand, and waved.


	39. A Story to Tell - Pt 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who

A Story to Tell – Part Two

Romana, Flavia and Sarah Jane sat up in her attic, cups of tea clutched in their hands as the Time Ladies described all that had happened recently. "So the General finally told them to 'just do it', and the Doctor and his other incarnations sealed Gallifrey away in a pocket dimension" Romana finished explaining. The elderly human's eyes were round with surprise, still bright even with the wrinkles that surrounded them, her once brown hair now nearly pure white.

"Gallifrey stands…that's incredible. When I first met you all…so many years ago…I was so thrilled" Sarah Jane recollected, "That one of my oldest, dearest friends was no longer alone. To know that your people might return…and perhaps even be better..." she trailed off and sipped at her tea. Flavia smiled wistfully, and said, "We're thrilled as well; to think that our home planet could return; that we could actually go _home _again"; she sighed as she thought of their beautiful planet, the way it had been before the War, the way it should be.

Sarah Jane lowered the cup from her lips and asked, "How long has it been for you since we first met?" Romana quickly searched her memory and answered, "Roughly 222 years…but you're acting as though we haven't seen you since then. We visited a few months back" she pointed out. Sarah Jane blinked. "Oh…yes, of course; I suppose I'm just feeling nostalgic. Romana, if you don't mind doing me a favour…I know why the Doctor didn't want to come and see me. I don't think I have long left though, so…can you make sure he'll come…at the end?"

The Time Ladies looked at her in dismay. "You're not dying" Romana stated firmly, going so far as to pull out her sonic and scan Sarah Jane. "Apart from the usual afflictions of age, there's nothing seriously wrong with you" she gave her verdict moments later. Sarah Jane laughed a little at that. "Precisely; and the 'usual afflictions of age' are what gets all of us humans in the end, aren't they? Don't look so put out; I'm not planning on crossing the divide anytime soon…I just want to be with the people I love when it happens, that's all" she explained.

"I understand. I'll try to convince the Doctor to come and…and say goodbye. I don't think he's going to take it well though" Romana warned her. Sarah Jane simply smiled. "I'll sort him out" she said confidently, "If he makes a fuss, I'll just remind him of this…that I've already had many brushes with death, including one from cancer, which after all I've seen and done is a pretty mundane way to go…but I survived it all, and now, it's just…time. Everything has it's time and everything dies".

Romana nodded, and then decided to change the subject. "Have you heard from Luke recently?" she asked Sarah Jane, who smiled fondly and nodded. "Calls every Tuesday, bless him…or is it Thursday? Oh, never mind. I'm proud of him; he's gone from studying at Oxford to being a professor of the genetic sciences; did you know he won an award last month, for his work on the genome?" she asked them. Flavia and Romana feigned pleasant surprise…when in fact, they had taken Sarah Jane to the ceremony three months ago in the TARDIS. That was the last time they'd seen the Bannerman Road gang.

"What about Clyde and Rani? Do they ever call?" asked Flavia. Sarah Jane hesitated, looking unsure, before replying "Oh…not as much as I'd like. They are busy though…Clyde with his drawings for um…for video games, and Rani is working for the London Times now. Living the dream...I do miss them, and Sky. Now that she's off teaching at Oxford, it's…lonely around here". After all, the only person she really had to talk to was Mr Smith, and a supercomputer just didn't beat a real, living person for some things.

Flavia and Romana glanced at one another in concern, as Sarah Jane gazed into space. "Surely, you talk to your neighbours sometimes?" Flavia suggested. Sarah Jane gave a rueful smile and shook her head slowly. "No…well, sometimes, I suppose. It's just that they all think I'm strange…the kids were the only ones who understood, and they're all gone now" she sighed. Romana shook her head, reached across and grasped Sarah Jane's hand. "No, they're not gone. They'll come back, and so will we. I'll make sure to visit as much as I possibly can, Sarah Jane, and I'll bring all the kids with me" she promised.

"You're very kind...there's no need to make such a fuss over an old lady like me".

"Yes, there is. You're one of my husband's oldest and dearest friends, and letting you be lonely simply feels wrong. In fact…" Romana said decisively, standing up and walking into the TARDIS, shutting the door behind her. It dematerialised moments later. Flavia bit her lip. "I hope she gets the co-ordinates correct" she murmured too low for Sarah Jane to hear. Fortunately, the TARDIS materialised again moments later…only this time, it wasn't just Romana who emerged from the police box.

"Mum!" Sky exclaimed happily, skipping over to a very surprised Sarah Jane and giving her a hug. Then Luke, Clyde and Rani appeared as well, and many more greetings were exchanged. "Romana, where is everyone else? The Doctor, Emily and the Corsair I mean" Rani inquired. Romana explained, "Oh, we're all visiting different people. The Corsair's spending time with Melody, Emily's having pizza with her friends and the Doctor went to see Jenny and Captain Jack".

"Wait – the Doctor let you and Emily go somewhere without him?" asked Clyde, "Are you sure he wasn't an imposter?" he joked. Romana smiled in amusement. "Believe me, Clyde, the Doctor took a lot of convincing – by which I mean, that we dropped him off at Torchwood first before he had a chance to try and follow – Emily, most likely" she revealed, before adding "I know he means well, but Emily's been saying for a while now that she wants to be treated more like an adult, and well, having us hovering over her all the time isn't really helping much".

"Won't he be mad?"

"I'm sure he'll live. Besides, I doubt Emily is in any danger. How much trouble could she possibly get into at a pizza parlour?"

/

The Doctor hadn't exactly been happy when his wife took off in his TARDIS without him. He knew she'd never leave him behind, not for good, and he knew it was only because she thought he might try to spy on Emily or something…which he wouldn't have…but it still stung a bit. Still, he couldn't bring himself to hold it against her, so he tried to keep his mind off of things by telling Jenny (who was very happy to see him) and Jack about Gallifrey's possible return.

When he'd finished explaining everything, Jenny turned to Captain Jack with wide eyes and exclaimed, "I told you! I knew something amazing had happened, I could just feel it" she grinned, holding her hand out. Jack sighed and pulled a couple of ten pound notes from his pocket, slapping them down in her upturned palm. The Doctor watched the exchange with a look of complete bewilderment. "Sorry, wait, sorry…you bet on something amazing happening?"

"You said all this happened on the 23rd of November, right?" asked Jenny, and he nodded. "Well, I was taking care of a little Weevil incident, it was really gloomy in Cardiff and nothing really exciting had happened all day", Jenny pulled a face, "but then out of nowhere, I felt really excited, and happy, like I'd just won the lottery jackpot. Somehow I just _knew _that something really good was going to happen, or had happened…Jack was being sceptical, so we had a tiny little wager to see if anything happened, and it did" she explained.

Jack cleared his throat and gave Jenny a serious stare. "Remember, Miss Noble, you're supposed to address me as 'Captain' or 'Mr Harkness', or my personal preference, 'O Great One'" he reminded her loftily. Jenny nodded, her own face going blankly serious. "Of course, my deep apologies O Great One" she replied. They caught each other's eyes and burst into giggles; Jack let his arm fall over Jenny's shoulders and the Doctor's eyes narrowed.

"Well, you were absolutely right Jenny, congratulations. Move over, _captain, _let me sit next to my _daughter_" the Doctor said pointedly, standing up and moving to glare down at Jack. The immortal held his hands up in surrender. "Hey, it's alright, I don't feel that way about Jenny. She might feel that way about me though, I am pretty irresistible" he acknowledged. Jenny scoffed and ducked out from under his arm, pushing it back towards him. "Relax, dad. Captain Jack and I are friends; besides, he's technically my boss, my commanding officer. I wouldn't date him in a billion years".

Her boss looked a bit put out by that, but the Doctor relaxed almost immediately. "Yes, right, of course…sorry, I just, I suppose I'm a little bit on edge since Emily isn't here" he explained sheepishly, sitting back down. "I thought you'd be more worried about Romana" Jack commented, dipping another crisp into the salsa dip on the table between them. They were in his little private 'home base', the same one he'd showed the Time Lords when he'd first met them.

"I am a little, but I know she can take care of herself. In fact, in most of our adventures together she's saved _me_ a lot of the time" the Doctor explained with a fond smile, "but Emily, she's just a little girl, she's _my _little girl, and I just want to be there for her, like I've always been" he sighed. He really was trying to respect Emily's wish to be treated less like a child, but as far as their people were concerned, she was still a child, and more than that, she was his.

Jenny smiled understandingly and came to sit beside him, putting an arm around his shoulders. "Emily knows that dad. Don't worry, I don't think she's going to grow up _too _fast" she reassured him. The Doctor smiled, and then realised he'd missed something obvious. "Hang on a minute; you knew, you said you felt like something incredible had happened. How would you know about that?" he wondered. Jenny shrugged and asked, "Does it matter?"

"It might be important, Jenny. You could be developing precognitive abilities as a result of living so close to the Rift; it can happen, I've seen it. I met a maid called Gwyneth once who could see the future, she knew how many sugars I liked in my tea" the Doctor rambled even as he scanned Jenny's head with his sonic. He checked the results and frowned. "Hmm, well this says you don't have an extra synaptic engram, but maybe I should do I more thorough check; d'you mind?" he asked, putting his fingers to her temples.

She pulled his hands away and said, "Dad, I'm not turning into a psychic. I don't know, maybe it was just a lucky guess, or maybe I sensed that you were really happy. Anyway, the important thing is that Gallifrey is coming back – hey, when you find it again, can I come and see it?" asked Jenny, excited by the thought of seeing her dad's home planet. The Doctor smiled and nodded in agreement. "Of course you can, if we find it" he said. Jenny replied, "Oh, I know you will…is that a phone ringing?"

It was indeed a phone ringing. The Doctor pulled a mobile out of his pocket. "It's Emily!" he exclaimed, quickly pressing 'Accept Call' and holding it to his ear. "Emily, sweetheart, are you okay? What's happened?"

"_I'm okay, dad. It's just, um, a Cebitera crashed outside the pizza restaurant last night, and he was pretty grouchy when he woke up, but err, his ship is broken and I don't know how to fix it so could you come and help?" _

"Emily, I don't have the TARDIS, your mother does, remember?"

"_Oh yeah…does _she _know how to fix a Cebiteran spaceship?" _

"I don't – okay, just sit tight, I'll call her and we'll be right there. Where is the Cebitera?"

"_Right here, Maria's keeping an eye on him and Liam and Joshua are keeping everyone away"._

"Okay, good, don't let him get away" the Doctor advised, before hanging up. "Is she in trouble?" Jenny asked concernedly, but the Doctor shook his head and began dialling another number. "No, she's just having a bit of trouble with a Cebitera" he replied.

"A what?"

"Small alien, bad tempered, looks kind of like a hairless monkey bat".

"Gotcha"

The mobile stopped ringing at last. "Hello?" said Clyde's voice. "Clyde? It's the Doctor, put Romana on please" the Doctor asked him; there was another pause, and then Romana asked, "Yes, dear?"

"Listen, Emily just phoned me. She and her friends found a Cebitera with a broken down spaceship, and she wants me to help fix it" the Doctor explained. Romana hummed thoughtfully, and then asked "So, what do you need me for again?" The Doctor sighed. "You know, this wouldn't be happening if you hadn't run off with my TARDIS"-

"Our TARDIS"

"…I need you to give me a lift…please" the Doctor said grudgingly. "I'll be right there" Romana assured him, before hanging up. He lowered the phone from his ear and glanced at Jenny and Jack, both of whom were struggling not to laugh. "Oh, shut up" he grumbled as they sniggered.

/

A/N: I'm sorry this took so long, and that it's so rubbish, especially at the end. I just couldn't figure out what to say for the last part, but I had to write _something. _Soon we'll be back to the proper episodes, but Time of the Doctor is next, so you might want to grab your tissues and brace yourself for feels.

On a happier note, I got two Doctor Who related Christmas presents this year. 'The Vault' by Marcus Hearn, and a _custom – made _t-shirt with the TARDIS on both sides – the front says SOME SAY 'ROCK ON!' I SAY 'VWORP ON!' , and the back just says 'VWORP ON!'. Best. Present. Ever!


	40. The Time of the Doctor Pt 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who and that's probably for the best.

The Time of the Doctor – Part One

_Once, there was a planet, much like any other, and unimportant. This planet sent the universe a message. A bell tolling among the stars, ringing out to all the dark corners of creation. And everybody came to see. Although no one understood the message, everyone who heard it found themselves afraid. Except one family. The family who stayed for Christmas._

A multitude of spacecraft, from numerous races – Judoon, Terileptils, Silurians and more – orbited around an unassuming, icy ringed planet, from which they were picking up a repetitive signal – a three note tone, the same one over and over again. Then one of these spacecraft received an unexpected, and most unwelcome visitor.

The Doctor beamed onto the ship holding a dismantled Dalek eye-stalk. He held it aloft and announced, "I bring proof of courage and comradeship. What is this ship and why are you here? Identify yourselves by species and planet of origin" he demanded. The ship's owners identified themselves by shouting "Exterminate!" – Much to the Doctor's alarm. He quickly lowered the eye-stalk and called "Romana?!"

"Exterminate! Exterminate!" the Daleks cried, firing at him – their aim was surprisingly bad at such short range. "Rom – argh! Romana!" the Doctor cried again, seconds before being beamed out of the Dalek ship and onto the TARDIS. He swiftly gave his wife a grateful hug before rounding on a Cyberman head attached to a stand on the console. "Handles, I said, put me on a ship. I didn't say, put me on a Dalek ship. Don't put me on a Dalek ship when I'm holding a broken bit of Dalek!" he snapped, hitting the head with the eye-stalk and only succeeding in jarring his arm. "Ow!"

"You did not indicate a preference" Handles stated in a monotone as the Doctor glared petulantly at it. "He does have a point, dear. You're not specifying which kind of ship you want to be sent to, so he's basing it on whatever you're holding" Romana explained, pulling the eye-stalk from the Doctor's hand and setting it aside. The Doctor huffed and moved around the console to the monitor. "Well, he should've used his head, it's not like he's got a lot of alternatives. They're all here. Daleks, Sontarans, Terileptils, Slitheen. And they're not even fighting, they're just parked. Why?" he wondered.

"The message was received throughout the universe" Handles informed them. "Yeah, we know that, thanks" the Corsair quipped. Why the Doctor had decided to use a Cyberman head for information was beyond him. "Even the TARDIS can't translate the signal; it's as if all of these species are waiting for someone else to translate it first or something" said Flavia.

"Yes, but why? What's so important about this message?" the Doctor wondered, just before the phone rang. He picked it up and said, "Hello, the TARDIS", feeling grateful that Romana had reminded him to patch the telephone back through the console instead of the door, and that he had finally listened to her. A rather frantic sounding Clara replied "You all have to come to Christmas dinner, right now".

"Oh, well, thanks for the invite, but we're a bit busy at the moment".

"No, no, you _have _to come to Christmas dinner at my flat, it's an emergency".

"Your Christmas dinner is an emergency? Why, is there not enough cranberry sauce or something? I love cranberry sauce".

"No, Doctor, just listen. I decided to tell my dad about you, us – no, not us, I mean, the TARDIS and the whole time and space travelling thing" –

"Good idea, I'm sure he'll be fascinated by it all".

"_No, _he didn't believe me! Then I told him I'd get proof, and that you'd all come to Christmas dinner, as in this Christmas, right now, today" Clara explained. Before the Doctor could reply, the scanner picked up an unidentified ship in orbit. "Ooh, that's a new one – right, yes, dinner. Sure. Be right there" he said distractedly, putting the phone down on the receiver. "Was that Clara? What did she want?" Romana inquired. Her husband answered, "Something about us coming to Christmas dinner".

/

Clara's small family – her father, gran and step mother Linda – sat eating starters and drinking champagne. "How's the turkey doing?" Linda asked Clara, who smiled awkwardly and rambled, "Great. Yeah, yeah, it's doing great. Well, dead and decapitated, but that's Christmas when you're a turkey". Her gran held up a glass and said, "Actually, maybe I will have a little more". Clara quickly refilled the glass with a more genuine smile. "There you go, gran".

"Did you put it in early enough?" her dad asked, and Clara sighed. "Dad, I put it in when you phoned me" she replied, and she _had, _in the midst of the million and one other things she'd been doing.

"I emailed you some instructions".

"Oh, you certainly did" Clara agreed, just before she heard the TARDIS materialise. Her dad frowned, puzzled, and asked "Is that a motorbike?"

"Uh, yeah, probably – I'm just going to check on the turkey again" Clara excused herself, leaving the room and then running downstairs. Her paper hat blew away in the wind when she got outside, but she ignored it, and hurried up to the TARDIS. "Hello every-gah!" she exclaimed, mortified by the sight of the Doctor standing there completely naked. She quickly spun around and covered her eyes with her hands for good measure.

Seemingly oblivious to his undressed state, the Doctor cheerfully greeted, "Clara! What's wrong?" he asked her as she just shook her head. The Corsair suggested "It might be because you're not wearing any clothes".

"Well, neither are you, none of us are"

"Yes, and it is most refreshing!"

"Oh for goodness – Doctor, just cover up" Flavia sighed, feeling distinctly uncomfortable. She wanted to respect the customs of others and everything, but this might be taking it too far. The Doctor pressed a button on the console, and his clothes reappeared on him – well, sort of. "You can turn around now, Clara" Romana called. She looked round and seemed distinctly relieved. "Oh, that was quick".

"Hologram clothes, projected directly onto your visual cortex" the Doctor explained as Clara walked up to him. She raised an eyebrow. "So you're still naked underneath? All of you?" she asked, weirded out by that notion. "Everyone's naked underneath" the Doctor pointed out with a shrug, and Clara grimaced. "Urgh, don't say things like that. It's Christmas. Come and meet my family" she beckoned, walking back to the door.

The Doctor followed after her, as Romana moved from the far side of the console to press a few buttons. When she looked up the Doctor had already left the TARDIS; she just hoped he'd still been in the machine when she pressed the buttons. They went up to Clara's flat, not passing anyone on the way – which would prove to be for the best. Clara went in first. "Hey, so, you know those friends I told you about?" she began, and then the Doctor stepped in with a wide, cheerful smile on his face.

"Hello, the Oswalds! Hello! Merry Christmas. Hello, hello" he greeted, shaking Linda's and Dave's hands, giving air kisses to Clara's gran – not even noticing that two of the Oswald's were trying to avoid looking at him. He put his arm around Romana as she stepped into the room. "This is Romana, my wife, and our daughter Emily, and her godparents, Cory and Flavia" the Doctor introduced everyone. Linda glanced between him and Romana, keeping her eyes on the Doctor's face and no lower. "You're married to her? But she's…"

"She's what?" Romana inquired, raising an eyebrow. Linda cleared her throat and smiled tightly. "Nothing, nothing at all" she replied, but Romana could guess what the woman meant – that she thought Romana was too old for the Doctor. "Isn't anyone going to say hello?" Clara asked awkwardly. Romana tugged her aside and apologetically explained, "I extended the hologram effect beyond the range of the TARDIS but he'd stepped out before I got to the controls. Sorry".

Clara stared at her, working out what she meant. "So, to be clear, no one except us can see his clothes?" she asked in a whisper just to double check. Romana gave her another apologetic look, and that was answer enough. Now thoroughly embarrassed, Clara cleared her throat and said louder than necessary, "So I think I'll just check on that turkey again, Doctor come and help me". Romana pulled him into the kitchen, ushering the others along with them. Clara paused at the door, looked back at her family and said, "Sorry, he's…Swedish".

Then she darted into the kitchen and shut the door behind her. "Doctor, please"- she began, but he cut her off, pointing at the bird in the oven. "Oh, that's never going to work, is it?" he asked, and the Corsair stepped up to the oven. "Is it even hot?" he wondered, opening the door and sticking his hand in. "It's not hot. Clara, either your oven is broken, or you _really _shouldn't have volunteered to cook dinner" the Corsair announced his verdict.

"Okay. Well, use an app" Clara prompted; the Doctor stared at her like she'd grown a second head. "An app?" he repeated incredulously. She made a strange sort of jabbing motion and explained, "On your screwdriver. App it"

"Most certainly not" the Doctor refused indignantly, "It doesn't do turkey. Nothing does turkey. You'd need a time machine…What?" he asked, noticing all of them staring at him. "Dad, we have a time machine" Emily pointed out.

/

They went back to the TARDIS, Clara carrying the turkey in its tray. "You can't keep using the TARDIS like this" the Doctor told her as she followed him down the steps in the console room. "Like what?" she asked in confusion. "Missed birthdays, restaurant bookings. And please, just learn how to use iPlayer" he explained even as he opened a hatch below the control panel. "Ooh, Vortex cooking" guessed Clara, as she laid the bird inside.

"Yep, exposure to the time winds. It'll either come up a treat, or just possibly lay some eggs" the Doctor informed her as they went back to the main level. "Information available" Handles stated bluntly. "What's that?" asked Clara, staring at it. "A Cyberman head the Doctor's decided to keep as a pet" the Corsair said derisively by way of explanation. "I have developed a fault" Handles stated. The Doctor patted it and explained to Clara, "The organics are all gone, but there's still a full set of data banks. Found it at the Maldovar market".

They returned to the snowy planet, and no sooner had they arrived than Handles announced, "Planet identified from analysis of message". The Doctor beamed triumphantly. "See, I knew you'd come in handy. Okay, tell us, what is the planet? Go on" he prompted Handles. "Processing official designation…processing…" The Doctor's smile disappeared. "Okay, in your own time, dear. Don't rush" he sighed in annoyance.

"So why haven't you just gone down there and had a look?"

"It's shielded. Even the TARDIS can't break through it".

"Gallifrey" Handles announced, and they all froze. "What did you say?" the Doctor asked in disbelief. Handles repeated, "Gallifrey".

"What does it keep saying Gallifrey?" asked Flavia, frowning in confusion. The Cyberman head stated, "Confirmed. Planet designation – Gallifrey". The Corsair shook his head and pulled the Cyberman head off its stand, holding it up to the scanner. "You see that? That planet is not Gallifrey. Gallifrey is our home, we know it when we see it" he insisted.

"Planet designation – Gallifrey" the head repeated, and the Corsair put it back on its stand with a bit more force than was necessary. It creeped him out, and that was saying something. "It's not Gallifrey" the Doctor agreed, "Gallifrey is gone". Clara hesitantly suggested, "Unless, unless you guys saved it. You thought you might have".

"Even if we did, it's not in this universe anymore" Romana reminded her. They'd tried to work out a way to get to Gallifrey, but they really had no idea where to start, how to get out of the universe without the walls collapsing. A loud fog horn like blast emanated from outside the TARDIS. "What's that?" asked Clara, following the Doctor and Romana to the door. They looked out at a large, sort of square shaped craft. "Papal Mainframe; it's like a great big flying church, the first ship to arrive. They are the ones who shielded the planet. They can get us down there" the Doctor explained to Clara.

The holographic face of a woman appeared; the Doctor bowed, and Romana gave a small curtsey. "A friend of yours?" asked Clara, but the Time Lady raised an eyebrow and said, "People don't usually bow to their friends". The hologram raised a hand and beckoned to them. "Tasha Lem, the Mother Superious" the Doctor introduced her to Clara, "She's inviting us aboard".

"Why?"

"Because I asked her. Swallow this" he instructed, handing her a small pill. She did as he said and then asked, "What is it?"

"Shouldn't you have asked that _before _you ate it?" Romana inquired rhetorically, and then the Doctor explained, "Your hologram projector. You can't go to church with your clothes on".

/

Clara felt very exposed and uneasy as they made their way through the Mainframe ship. "I don't feel like I'm wearing anything" she muttered to the Doctor, wanting to tug on her clothes, except that they weren't really there and it was all just a holographic effect. Really, what was the point of taking their clothes off? Romana said it was something to do with showing they had nothing to hide, but surely there were futuristic scanners that could detect anything they tried to bring on board?

"I know. Relaxing, isn't it?" the Doctor replied, not seeming bothered to be walking around stark naked. Then again, the Corsair didn't seem concerned either so maybe it was a male Time Lord thing. He actually _was_ bothered by the fact that Romana would register as naked as well, and normally he'd have refused to go anywhere near the Church because of that; but they _needed _to get down to the planet to find out what was going on, and staying on the good side of the Mother Superious by following her Church's traditions was the only way to do that.

"What is this place?" asked Clara as they walked in double file between rows of military personnel. "The Church of the Papal Mainframe, security hub of the known universe" the Doctor replied, keeping an eye on the soldiers to make sure their gazes stayed fixed straight ahead and weren't following his wife.

"A security church?"

"Yep. Keeping you safe in this world and the next" the Doctor joked as they reached the head of the pathway. "We venerate the exaltation of the Mother Superious" he recited, as they all either bowed or curtsied. The colonel standing to one side nodded and greeted, "Welcome to the Church of the Papal Mainframe. Your nudity is appreciated".

"Hey, babes" the Mother Superious smiled down at them, not sounding either motherly or superior – in fact, she sounded flirty. "'Sup, Tash. Love the new frock" the Corsair flirted right back with a wink. Flavia rolled her eyes. "Flatterer" Tasha smirked, walking up to them from her podium. "Well, I recognise four of you; what about these two?" she inquired, gesturing to Emily and Clara.

"This is mine and the _Doctor's_ daughter, Emily" Romana introduced her little girl, who smiled innocently up at Tasha and politely said hello. The first time they'd met Tasha, she and the Doctor hadn't been married yet, and the other woman had flirted with the man she loved even after he'd made it clear he wasn't interested. She didn't entirely trust Tasha or her Church either, since the Silence and Kovarian's soldiers had been affiliated with the Papal Mainframe.

"Yes, and this is my associate, Clara Oswald. Clara, this is Tasha Lem, the Head of the Church of the Papal Mainframe" the Doctor added. Tasha nodded and decided, "We'll go to my chapel"; to the room at large she announced, "All honours in place, no sacrifices required". They followed her through the ship to her 'chapel', which was basically where she received private visitors - her quarters, in other words. "It was Tasha who shielded the planet" the Doctor explained to Clara, before adding, "But you could sneak us down there, couldn't you, Tash?"

"I would have conditions. I have confidential matters to discuss with you Doctor. Would the rest of you excuse us?" she requested. Romana stepped forward and asserted, "Anything you say to my husband, you can say to me". Tasha eyed her, and then looked at the Doctor. He blinked, and then agreed, "Yes, yes, definitely. In fact, you can probably say it to all of us. Well, quite a lot of it. Probably about half. Maybe a smidge under. Actually, would you guys mind waiting out here, please?" he asked Clara, the Corsair, Emily and Flavia.

They all nodded. "Good. Right, lead on" the Doctor gestured to the door. He and Romana followed Tasha into the chapel. "Romana doesn't seem to like Tasha much" Clara commented to the others once the door had closed. "She used to flirt with the Doctor, before they married. It's not just Tasha though, it's the Church in general. They, or a faction of them, were involved in a plot to kill the Doctor" Flavia explained. Clara began to ask why they wanted to kill him, when a Silent appeared.

The Corsair immediately pulled out his gun and aimed it at the alien. "Don't move any further or I'll shoot" he threatened, powering the weapon up. "What are you doing? What is it?" asked Clara, confused by the Corsair's reaction. "Should I tell mum and dad?" asked Emily, but the Corsair shook his head. "No, I can handle one" he insisted, keeping his weapon trained on the Silent as it stood there, staring at them.


	41. The Time of the Doctor Pt 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who

The Time of the Doctor – Part Two

"That altar looks like a bed" the Doctor commented as he and Romana sat down on it. Tasha smirked. "That bed looks like an altar" she corrected, offering them goblets of blue liquid. Romana thought it tasted vaguely like blueberries; the Doctor pulled a face and spat his mouthful back into the goblet, so either it was some kind of wine or he just didn't like blueberries. Tasha pressed a panel on the headrest of the 'altar bed' and the three tone message began to play.

She invaded the Doctor's personal space, sitting down on the other side of him. He leaned away from her. "That message is transmitting through all of space and time. What did it make you feel?" she asked, focusing on him in particular. "Feel?" the Doctor repeated in confusion. He could tell her what he was feeling right now; very uncomfortable. He quickly moved to sit on the other side of Romana, as Tasha explained, "Every sentient being in the universe who detected that signal felt something. Something overpowering".

"Felt what?" Romana inquired warily. Tasha looked at them both. "Fear; pure, unadulterated dread" she replied seriously. The Doctor and Romana glanced at one another; if the signal alone could engender such a response, whatever was generating it must be dangerous indeed, but for some reason…it hadn't affected them. "None of us were afraid. We were just curious" Romana asserted.

The Doctor stood up and clapped his hands together. "Right! What's the signal? Where's it coming from?"

"It's a settlement. Human colony, level two; a farm, basically".

"Right, anyone been for a look?"

"Any one ship lands, the rest will follow. There will be bloodshed. Fortunately we got here first, shielded the planet. We maintain the truce by blocking all of them".

"Daleks, Cybermen, one of that lot, could break through your defences".

"Perhaps. But they're afraid, remember? Nobody wants to go first".

"We do".

"I was counting on it".

/

The Corsair was holding the Silent at bay, but then another one turned up, and then another. "Oh, great – Clara, keep looking at them or you'll forget they're here" he warned the human, who had no idea what the Silence were or how dangerous. "Keep looking at wha- oh my God" she exclaimed as she looked at them again. "Keep looking at the aliens. Corsair, we need to get inside the chapel, you can't fire that thing in here, the alarms will go off!" Flavia warned him, Emily hiding behind her and Clara.

"You think I don't know that?" he snapped back, frowning at the Silence. "Why aren't they attacking us?" he questioned suspiciously. The first Silent opened its mouth and his fingers tightened on the trigger of his blaster. "Confess" it rasped, much to their bewilderment. "What did you say?" the Corsair asked, without lowering his guard. The second Silent said, "Confess", in its creepy voice. Then the third Silent did so as well.

The gears and cogs turned in the Corsair's head. "I don't think this lot are with Kovarian…let me try something" he said, holstering his gun and stepping forward. "We have nothing to confess. We are innocent. Leave us alone" he commanded. Much to his surprise, the Silents actually turned and walked away. When the aliens were gone, all four of them forgot they'd ever been there…but they still felt creeped out. "I want mum and dad" Emily decided, turning to step inside the chapel.

"Emily, darling, are you alright?" Romana asked in concern when her daughter came in, seeming rather scared. "I'm okay…I think" Emily said unsurely. Tasha cleared her throat and walked over to a line of confessionals. "This is my personal teleport. I can put you down just outside the town. Find the source of the message and report back to me in one hour. And on your life, Doctor, you will cause no trouble down there" she warned him, pointing a finger in his face.

The six of them climbed into one of the cubicles of the three confessional boxes. "When do I?" the Doctor asked rhetorically, before pointing at Tasha and adding, "Don't answer that". He drew the curtain over his confessional box, and Tasha promptly drew it back, holding her hand out. "What?"

"I'm not an idiot. Everyone in this church is trained to see straight through holograms" Tasha informed him; Clara overheard and sarcastically said "Ah, great". _So much for the holographic clothing shell_ she grumbled inwardly. Tasha continued to hold her hand out to the Doctor. "Give now. You are taking no technology of any kind down there" she refused, as the Doctor fingered the TARDIS key he was holding in his palm.

"What could I do with a key?" he asked Tasha, who replied, "You could summon your TARDIS".

"The TARDIS doesn't work by remote" the Doctor protested, but Tasha didn't let up, so he gave in. "Fine. If it makes you feel any better, there we are". He slapped the key into her hand, and told her "The others don't have their keys, don't worry about that". Tasha nodded and made her way to a bank of controls, pocketing the key as she went. "Remember. I want you back in one hour" she reminded them all before they were teleported to the surface of the planet.

The six of them ended up standing in snow, with more fat white flakes floating down onto their heads. Clara wrapped her arms around herself, shivering. "Oh, cold! Very cold!" she gasped, rubbing her arms vigorously to try and generate some heat. "Okay, don't worry. There's a heat loss filter in your hologram shell. It'll kick in, just give it a moment" the Doctor explained, looking around, seeing that they were in a forest. "So, sweet little town covered in snow, half the universe in terror. Why? Why?" he wondered.

"Oh my God!" Clara exclaimed in alarm, eyes widening. "What is it, what?" the Corsair asked immediately, his hand going to his gun (his holster wasn't holographic – just invisible, and so was the blaster as long as it was put away). Clara pointed at something sticking out of the snow. "There's something under the snow. It's"- she made to touch it but then the Corsair pulled her back, recognising the object. "Clara, stay back, it's not safe" he warned her, keeping his eyes trained on the shape in the snow.

Flavia peered at it and grimaced. "Is that an _arm? _Eugh, I hope we're not standing on bodies" she grimaced in disgust. "It's stone, Flavia, look at it. It's a Weeping Angel, hiding under the snow" the Corsair cautioned them all. Romana pulled Emily nearer to her, watching the arm suspiciously. "What's a Weeping Angel?" asked Clara.

"They look like statues, but they're not statues" the Doctor explained quickly. Romana felt a tingle run down her spine, like she was being watched, and looked round. "Look out!" she cried, seeing another Weeping Angel emerging from behind them. More and more began to dig themselves out of the snow. "Keep looking at them, all of them" Romana instructed Clara. "Why?" she asked.

"Quantum locked lifeform. They can only move if they're unobserved" the Doctor explained as they formed a circle, with Emily in the centre, and Angels on every side. Flavia decided she'd actually have rather landed on bodies; at least corpses didn't usually attack you when you weren't looking. "What are they doing here?" asked Clara, trying to wipe away the hair and snow in her eyes without taking them off of the statue in front of her.

"Same as everybody else. Must've got past Tasha's shield – keep looking!"

"I can't. I can't see. The snow's in my eyes"

"Pretty soon none of us will be able to see a thing, it's getting darker"

"We need to get the TARDIS down" the Doctor stated, and Emily had a sudden epiphany. "Hold hands! Quick, everyone, hold hands, trust me!" she said urgently. The Doctor had no issue with taking Romana's hand, and then she took Flavia's, who took the Corsair's, who took Clara's, who took the Doctor's other hand. Then Emily grasped her parents hands with one of hers, and with the other, she pressed the button on her bracelet.

The TARDIS materialised around the six of them; as soon as it was solid, Romana spun around and pulled Emily into a hug. "Oh, you brilliant beautiful girl!" she commended, as the Doctor laughed. "Of course! Your bracelet is meant for teleporting one person, but if you want to teleport more people it becomes a homing device. The TARDIS comes to you. Oh, Emily, you are fantastic!" he beamed down at her. Emily smiled widely, very pleased by the praise.

The Doctor moved around the controls, saying "Okay, homing in on the mysterious message. Ooh, yes, I like that. The mysterious message" he grinned; it had a nice ring to it. "So, since Emily got us out of that scrape, are you going to take the key out of your wig?" Romana inquired casually. Clara stared dubiously at her and her husband. "He's wearing a wig?" she asked incredulously.

Sure enough, he pulled one off and held up another TARDIS key. "Clever plan to get us past the shield; would've worked, too, if not for Emily's quick thinking"; he winked at Emily, who giggled, albeit more at his bald head. Clara turned to Romana and guessed, "He got bored one night, didn't he". The Time Lady gave a long suffering sigh and replied, "It was too late to stop him when I found him".

"Is that what happened to his eyebrows?"

"Oi!" the Doctor groused, "They're just delicate. Right, setting us down near the signal source. I'm going to turn the engines on silent. Don't want to make a fuss" he decided. Romana took the wig off of Handles, where he'd put it, and dropped it back onto his head. "Put it back on. You look ridiculous" she informed him. He readjusted the hairpiece and smiled softly at her. _Better?_

_Much better; why you shaved it off in the first place is beyond me. _

_I just wanted to see how it would look. _

/

They emerged from the TARDIS wearing proper clothes, much to Clara's relief. "Oh, it's good to be wearing clothes again. That's so much better, don't you think?" she asked rhetorically, adjusting the collar of her coat. The Doctor had his sonic out, scanning everything in sight, as they made their way through the small village. There were lights on the trees, so the village at least had electricity (or some form of similar power).

"Now, what do we make of this place? It's two o'clock in the afternoon" the Doctor said, even though it seemed like night-time, "Must be very short days here. The message is coming from that tower" he deduced, pointing at the clock tower stretching up above the houses. They made their way towards it, and two residents approached them from the opposite direction. "Hello!" the Doctor waved, "Hello there. Right, we're a family from the next town, just visiting. My name's probably Hank or Rock, something like that".

"I think John would do" Romana commented. The Doctor nodded and added, "Hello, good to meet you. Nice snow" he complimented. The middle aged couple, Abramal and Marta, smiled at them all in friendly greeting. "Most pleasant to meet you too" Abramal replied; Marta nodded, "Most pleasant, most pleasant".

The Doctor opened his mouth to ask them if they'd noticed anything odd about the tower, but instead he said, "I'm the Doctor. I'm a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey. I stole a time machine and ran away and I've been flouting the principal law of my own people ever since"; his eyes widened, "That wasn't quite what I meant to say!" he added quickly. Concerned, Romana asked if he was alright, or at least she tried to.

"I'm Romana, the Doctor's wife. I thought he was a mad fool when I first met him but then he saved me from a homicidal sentient asteroid and I fell madly in love with him!"

"I'm Clara, an English teacher from planet Earth, and I ran away with a family of aliens from outer space"-

"Hey, let me try! Hello, I'm – the Corsair, I used to be a renegade Celestial Intervention Agent and now I'm travelling with someone who once asked to be my assistant, funny how that worked out".

"I'm Emily, and I like chocolate…what?" she asked as they all stared at her, "It's true!"

"I think, perhaps, you should stop talking till you get used to it" Marta advised them all with an understanding smile. "Get used to what?" asked the Doctor; Marta turned to Flavia, the only one who hadn't spoken, and kindly inquired, "What was your name, dear?"

"Sarcastic, disapproving ex-Chancellor" she replied before she could stop herself. The Doctor blurted out, "I'm wearing a wig!" – Then he realised what was going on. "No, ah, I see. Yes, of course. It's a truth field. Oh, that is so quaint. I haven't seen a truth field in years. I'm wearing a wig" he repeated, pointing to his hair with a goofy smile. "No one can lie in this town. Especially this close to the tower" Abramal explained, as he and his wife moved on.

"Doesn't that make life a bit difficult?" the Doctor called after them, and they paused. "Not at all" Marta assured them, at the same time as Abramal nodded, "Yes".

"What's the name of your town?" asked Romana. Marta replied, "It's Christmas", much to the Doctor's confusion. "It's July" he pointed out; he'd checked it on the scanner in the TARDIS. "No, the town. The town is Christmas. That's what it's called" Marta corrected him. Abramal waved to them. "Be happy here, be well" he called as he walked away with his wife.

"How can a town be called Christmas?" asked Clara as they made their way to the tower. "I don't know. How can an island be called Easter? Maybe it's just nice here. I almost hate to find out what's wrong" the Doctor replied. They went inside the tower; a light emitted from somewhere at the back of the room beyond, and as they approached, the Doctor took Romana's hand. "There you are. What took you so long?" he asked quietly.

"What's wrong? It's only a crack in the…wall…" Clara trailed off as she realised the 'crack' was glowing white. Romana stared at it, brow furrowed slightly. "It looks like…that picture, the man was drawing of me, when we were in Paris" she recalled out of nowhere, able to see the pencil drawing of herself but with a cracked clock face instead of her actual visage – she hadn't thought about that in centuries, she didn't think she even had the sketch anymore, but the crack looked uncannily like it.

"What is it?" Clara asked nervously. Something about the light made her feel uncomfortable. "A split in the skin of reality" the Doctor answered, remembering the crack turning up in the Byzantium, the Silurian tunnels, and Romana was right, it did look a bit like the crack in the drawing from Paris – had there been a crack somewhere there as well? "A tiny sliver of the 26th of June, 2010. The day the universe blew up" he added.

"Missed that…"

"I rebooted it, put it all back together".

"That's good".

"Well, it was my TARDIS that blew it up in the first place. I felt a degree of responsibility. But the scar tissue remains. A structural weakness in the whole universe" the Doctor explained as he eyed the tear in space and time. "A weakness that someone's trying to exploit, by getting through this crack and others like it, into our universe" the Corsair elucidated.

"Of course, of course, it makes sense".

"It does?"

"Yes. If you were trying to break through a wall, you'd choose the weakest spot. If you were trying to break into this universe, you'd choose this crack, because" – the Doctor paused, eyes widening, cogs turning. "No. If you were trying to break _back_ into this universe" he breathed, before holding up Handles, having carried the Cyberman head out of the TARDIS when they arrived. "You said Gallifrey. Why did you say Gallifrey?" he asked it urgently.

Handles replied, "Analysis of message composition indicates Gallifreyan origin, according to TARDIS databanks". The Time Lords looked at one another, working out what that meant, for them and for the planet. "You said Gallifrey was gone" Clara pointed out gently; Romana shook her head and explained, "No, we said it wasn't in this universe anymore. The message, and presumably the truth field, are both coming from the crack".

The Doctor rummaged in his pockets and pulled out a large round disc. "Seal of the High Council of Gallifrey. Nicked it off the Master in the Death Zone" he explained, sticking it to Handles. "There is an algorithm imprinted in the atomic structure. Use it to decode the message" he instructed. Handles whirred. "Message decoding… Message analysis proceeding… Information available. The message is a request for information" it announced. The Doctor frowned. "It's a question. Why can't you just say it's a question?" he grumbled impatiently.

"It is being projected through all of time and space on a repeating cycle" Handles continued, and the Doctor stiffened. "The oldest question in the universe, hidden in plain sight" he murmured, thinking about Dorium's words. Romana took hold of his hand and he smiled at the comfort. "Warning" Handles announced, "Translation will be available to all lifeforms in range. Translation follows. Doctor who? Doctor who? Doctor who? Doctor who? Doctor who? Doctor who? Doctor who?" it repeated, the monotone voice gradually developing into the voice of the General.

The other ships, all of them, heard the translation – even the Papal Mainframe. Tasha tensed; she'd _warned _him not to cause any trouble! "Patch me through to the Doctor. Now!" she ordered a nearby Cleric.

/

"A question only two people could answer" the Doctor explained to Clara, who was looking lost, "A truth field to make sure we're not lying. If either Romana or I speak my name, they'll know they've found the right place and that it's safe to come through".

"The Time Lords? Okay, so what then? If you answer the question and they come back, what happens?" Clara asked him. He looked at Romana, and then at Emily, and made a silent decision, taking a short round device out of his pocket and handing it to Clara. "Take this to the TARDIS and put it in the charger slot for the sonic. Emily, go with her, show her where to put it" he instructed them both.

"Why?"

"Because if the Time Lords return, it will be a disaster" Romana explained, "There's half a universe up there already, waiting to open fire. Now please, go to the TARDIS, both of you" she urged, having worked out what her husband was planning, and she agreed – it was for the best. Clara and Emily left the tower, and hurried back to the TARDIS. When they reached it, Emily pushed the door open and gestured for Clara to go inside first. "The charger slot is on the second panel from the door, right beneath a row of purple and red switches" she directed.

Clara paused, looking at her in puzzlement. "Aren't you coming in as well?" she asked. Emily shook her head and quickly said, "It won't take you long, just go in, I'll be right there". Still a bit suspicious of the girl's jumpiness, Clara trusted Emily and went inside the TARDIS, looking for the charger slot. Emily bit her lip. "I'm sorry Aunt Clara" she whispered, "but I want to stay with my family". She snapped her fingers to close the door, then turned and ran back to the Tower.

Meanwhile, her father had climbed up the stairs to the bell chamber above the clock face, looking up at a large hologram of Tasha's face hanging in midair. "Mother Superious, there is only one thing I need from you. This planet, what's it called?" he asked, dreading the answer, but he _needed _to know. "Trenzalore" Tasha replied. Down in the streets, people were coming out of their houses to stare up at her huge face; Emily dodged past all of them, struggling to keep her shields up and not let onto her family that she was still there.

Back inside the TARDIS, Clara looked up at the Time Rotor as it began to move, alarmed. "Hang on, what are you doing? Are you moving? Emily's still out there!"

Tasha warned the Doctor, "If you or your wife speaks your name, the Time Lords will return".

"If they return, they will come in peace".

"It doesn't matter. They will be met with a war that will never end. The Time War will begin anew. You know that, Doctor".

The engines stopped, the TARDIS landed. Clara rushed to the doors, calling out "Emily? Are you there?" as she ran outside…only to find herself back at the estate where she lived. "No. Don't you dare. No, no!" she protested, running back to the doors and grabbing hold of the handles just as the TARDIS began to dematerialise.

"They're asking for my help!" the Doctor protested. War or not, his own people were calling out to him for help, and he had a lot to make up for in his own mind. "And if you give it, war will be the consequence. I will not let that happen, at any cost. Speak your name and this world will burn" Tasha insisted.

"No, this planet is protected" he replied decisively, ringing the bell. He went downstairs to Romana, the Corsair and Flavia… "What are you still doing here?" he demanded, staring at Emily as she revealed herself, stepping out from the doorway. She winced. "Dad, I"-

"You were supposed to go in the TARDIS, where you'd be safe! At least I can activate the teleport in your bracelet remotely".

"Don't!" Emily burst out, pulling the bracelet off and taking a step back, shaking her head. "Emeyadvotrelundar, you put that bracelet back on and go to the TARDIS right now!" the Doctor shouted, making her flinch. He winced when he realised he'd upset his little girl. "Sweetheart, _please_".

"I can't, dad. The TARDIS is already gone…I know you wanted me to go with Clara, and be safe, but I didn't want to leave! I didn't want to leave and come back to find out you'd been hurt, or regenerated, or…or", she couldn't bring herself to say it, "Please, please don't send me away. I just want to stay with you and mum, please" Emily begged tearfully. The Doctor sighed, and walked forward, kneeling down and wrapping his arms around her. "Alright, alright, you can stay. But you must promise to be careful" he murmured.

Emily nodded emphatically. "I will, I promise" she agreed at once. The five of them went outside to see the townsfolk gathered at the bottom of the steps up to the tower. So, you lot, a quick word, thank you. Spot of news. Christmas has a new sheriff. Hello, everyone. I'm the Doctor, and this is my family".


	42. The Time of the Doctor Pt 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who

The Time of the Doctor – Part Three

Tasha stood tall and addressed the congregation of troops. "Attention. Attention all Chapels and Choirs of the Papal Mainframe. The siege of Trenzalore is now begun. There will now be an unscheduled faith change. From this moment on, I dedicate this church to one cause. Silence. The Doctor and Romana will not speak his name, and war will not begin. Silence will fall!"

"Silence will fall!" the Clerics chanted in return, "Silence will fall".

_In the time that followed, the Papal Mainframe strove to maintain the peace between the Time Lords and their enemies. _

"We remain undetectable to the Papal Mainframe" Commander Skarr informed his subordinate, just before the Doctor used his sonic to disrupt the cloaking device around their vehicle, and they became partly visible. "Commander Skarr. That's the detection warning. Our invisibility cloak is compromised".

"What's wrong with it?"

"I don't know, I can't see it"

"Well, it looks invisible to me" Skarr insisted, hitting the side of the vehicle – and making their location clear to the Papal Mainframe, which promptly shot them down. "The Church of the Papal Mainframe apologises for your death. The relevant afterlives have been notified".

_As the days passed, and the years, the TARDIS Family stayed true to their word. On the fields of Trenzalore, they stood as protector both of their own people and their new home. _

Romana and the Doctor ran for their lives, looking over their shoulders periodically at Weeping Angels, weakened by blasts of pure temporal energy that Romana had harvested from the crack (which the Doctor thought as absolutely brilliant). They made it past a series of full length mirrors, and the Weeping Angels were trapped, staring at their own reflections, and the words 'With Love from the Time Quintet' written in the moisture on the mirrors.

_Over the years, his foes would find new, stranger ways to enter the town called Christmas._

The children played Blind Man's Bluff, Emily playing with them. It hadn't been easy, watching the generations grow up and grow old before her eyes, but she didn't regret her decision to stay with her parents. She liked to think it helped, having her there, reminding them what they were fighting for – a safe universe for her to explore. Better still, the children of each generation knew that she wouldn't age with them, that she was an alien, and were still happy to include her in their fun for as long as they could.

It was her turn to be the Blind Man, and she wandered about with a blindfold on for a few minutes, asking if she was getting warmer. She got the feeling that danger lurked nearby, and quickly pulled off her blindfold…to see a wooden Cyberman standing just a few feet in front of her. Emily's eyes widened and she ran. "Cyberman! Dad, mum! There's another one!" she yelled as she sprinted back into town, urging people to stay back and sound the alarms.

A blast of fire rushed past her, missing her by inches, and she yelped. "Dad! Hurry up!" Emily cried as the Cyberman stomped inexorably forwards. "Incinerate. Incinerate" it cried, raising its arm and aiming at Emily. The Corsair appeared at her shoulder, aiming his blaster at the wooden Cyberman. "Hurt my god-daughter and you will regret it" he said threateningly. The Cyberman lowered its arm with a creak of timber. "The Doctor is required" it intoned.

The Time Lord in question emerged from the tower, leaning on a cane. He paused to hand a toy wooden rifle to a friend of Emily's, Barnable. "There you go, Barnable".

"Thanks"

"Working fine. Nice action. Don't leave it out in the rain again" the Doctor advised, before tossing a wheeled toy to Lucy, another girl Emily befriended. "Fixed the wheels and the anti-grav" he assured her, and she frowned in bewilderment. "The anti-what?"

"Yeah, may have gone a bit far. Now then, what do we have today? Don't you move one step further" he warned his enemy as he went down the steps. "Wooden Cyberman, nice. Like it" he commented as he approached the Cyber, "Low tech, doesn't set off the alarms upstairs". He and the Cyber had a brief standoff, but then the Doctor used his screwdriver on the Cyberman before it managed to fully raise its arm.

He wiggled the sonic in his fingers and explained, "Only bit of tech allowed in. Got in before the truce. Now, I just sent an instruction to your firearm to reverse the polarity and fire out the back end. Now, as we're standing in a truth field, you will understand I cannot be lying. If you like, you can scan my screwdriver, verify that's the signal I sent" he told the Cyberman. It scanned, announced "Signal verified", turned its weapon around and shot a bolt of flame through its chest.

"Yes. I probably should have mentioned this doesn't work on wood" the Doctor admitted, having used the truth field to his advantage – one couldn't lie, but they could still omit things. He walked closer to the Cyberman and said, "You send your friends up there a message from the Doctor. You tell them the Doctor stays" he instructed, before pushing the Cyber over with his cane. "Next" he joked as Emily hurried over to hug him.

_With every victory, the town celebrated._

The Doctor smiled as he looked at all the drawings the children had made, of him and his family saving them from monsters. "And there's me arm-wrestling a Draconian. I remember that" he said reminiscently to Romana. She smiled to see him happy, in spite of everything, but it was a sad smile. He was getting older, they were all aging a little faster because of the time energy seeping from the crack, but the Doctor was on his last life and was affected the worst. They all made a point of talking about their friends; the Nobles, Melody, the Smith Jones, Sarah Jane; just trying to remind him of them.

_In time, it would seem the Doctor might have forgotten he lived any other life, if not for the memories kept alive by his wife, daughter and friends. _

"Christmas is defended!"

They pinned the pictures and drawings on the walls and beams of their tower home; the wall next to Emily's bunk was covered in them.

_And the people of the town came to love the family who stayed for Christmas._

At another party, the Doctor danced with Emily and the other children in his usual madcap fashion. "You've got to _be_ the drunk giraffe. You've got to commit! Don't be cool, guys. Cool is not cool" he instructed, and they all cheered, "Cool is not cool!"

"And what's the dance we're doing?"

"The drunk giraffe!"

"The drunk giraffe. Yeah, it is. Merry Christmas. Give me a hug. Bring it in" he beckoned, and they all pressed in for a big group hug. Whilst her dad went to get a drink, Emily chatted to her friends. "Is your dad's barn okay now?" she asked Barnable, who nodded and then pulled her aside. "_Your_ dad fixed the leak alright, but mine says it's bigger on the inside now".

Emily smiled and pressed a finger to her lips. "Don't tell anybody" she whispered to Barnable, who zipped his lips. Then she heard something she'd begun to think she'd never hear again…the TARDIS materialising. "What is it? What's that noise?" Barnable asked, following Emily as she ran towards the sound. "It's the TARDIS, my dad's ship. It's been gone for three hundred years" she explained, watching the time machine appear with its back to them.

"It's a blue box".

"It's a police box, they used to use them on Earth; it's a disguise. Oh no – Aunt Clara!" she gasped, moving round to the door and seeing Clara clinging to the door. "I was in space" Clara said dazedly as Emily tugged her away from the TARDIS. "You were in the Time Vortex. The TARDIS must have extended the shields to keep you safe – oh, _that's _why you're both so late!" Emily figured out. Clara blinked and stared at her. "Sorry, um, who are you?"

"Um…it's me, Emily. Don't you remember me?"

"But…but…Emily is a little girl" Clara objected, still disoriented from her impromptu trip through the Vortex, as she stared at the young teenager before her. The girl's long blonde hair was tied back in a plat, and she seemed to be wearing a long sleeved white shirt or blouse underneath a purple-pink jumper, and dark brown trousers with black boots. She also had a TARDIS blue hairband, and a silver bracelet… "Emily? Is it…really you?"

"Yeah, it's really me. I'm 321 now. Oh, and this is my friend Barnable" said Emily, gesturing to him. Barnable waved, and then Emily strode forwards to take Clara's hand. "Come on, it's cold out here. The others will be so pleased to see you!"

/

When Clara first came face to face with the Doctor, she was shocked at how different he looked, how lined his face was. Then she saw that all of the Time Lords had gotten a bit older, just not to the same extent. Their reunion reminded the Corsair very much of when they'd gone back to see Amy and Rory that one Christmas. "You tricked me".

"I saved you".

"You didn't even say goodbye!"

"I'm furious with you!"

"Well, I am not even talking to you!" Clara retorted, getting the last word before they both laughed and hugged each other. Emily gave Clara a tour around the tower, showing her all the pictures, including the ones she herself had drawn. "Look at you all. Fixing toys and fighting monsters" Clara said fondly. The Doctor came back in from checking over the TARDIS. "The turkey isn't done yet" he told Clara; which was odd, because you'd think that after 300 years of exposure to the Time Winds the bird would either be thoroughly cooked, or have made new generations.

"Is it still asking the question?" she inquired, nodding at the crack. "Oh, never stops. Come upstairs. It's almost time" the Doctor beckoned to her. "For what?" asked Clara even as she followed them upstairs. "Dawn. The light here lasts only a few minutes. You don't want to miss it".

A metal sheet stuck in beneath the bell held a warming fire, which they all stood round, holding their hands out to it. "Well, it's a standoff. They can't attack in case I unleash the Time Lords, and I can't run away, because they'll burn this planet to stop the Time Lords. Hey, after all these years, I've finally found somewhere that needs me to stick around. A town called Christmas. Could've been worse, couldn't it Romana?" he asked his wife, winding an arm around her waist.

"A lot worse, yes" she agreed, and he smiled at her. "Yeah; I could have been trapped here for three centuries without you". He kissed her temple, and Clara smiled to see them still acting so sweet together. "What are Flavia and I, chopped liver?" the Corsair joked, before telling Clara, "He's been short with me ever since I 'accidentally' got his pet Cyber-head killed".

"Because it wasn't an accident! You shot Handles".

"It wasn't _my _fault it got in the way of my target practice".

Romana stopped the argument there by bringing out a box of marshmallows, which they roasted over the fire. "Where did you get these?" asked Clara, and the Doctor winked at her. "We have a supplier" he told her, popping one in his mouth. "I like the pink one's best" Emily commented, gingerly nibbling at a hot one. "Is it always so cold here?" Clara questioned, staying close to the warmth of the fire.

"The days are very short, and Trenzalore is far from the sun. It's like the South Pole, but for a whole planet. The sun will come up very soon, just wait and see" the Doctor assured her with a smile, eating another marshmallow.

"Why did you send me away, but not Emily?"

"We _were _sending Emily with you – but she got wise to our trick, and came back. Refused to be teleported back on board the TARDIS".

"I'm sorry I tricked you, Aunt Clara. I just didn't want to leave my mum and dad".

"It's okay, I understand. I didn't want to leave either".

"Well, I doubt the same trick will work twice" Flavia remarked, without looking round as the sun began to rise between towering mountains. The light shone on the snow, and illuminated the village – now a small town – below them. It was a gorgeous sight. "What do you think of our new place? We come up here once a day for a few minutes, to remind ourselves of what it is we're protecting".

"It's beautiful…Why did you send me away?"

"…Because if we hadn't, we'd have buried you a long time ago".

"No, you wouldn't. I would never have let you get stuck here".

"Ha! Everyone gets stuck somewhere eventually, Clara. Everything ends".

"Except you"

"Have you been paying attention? I'm an old man now".

"But you don't die. You change. You pop right back up with a new face".

"No, not for ever. I can change twelve times. Thirteen versions of me. Thirteen silly Doctors".

"Okay, so you're number eleven, so"-

"Ha. Are we forgetting Captain Grumpy, eh? I didn't call myself the Doctor during the Time War, but it was still a regeneration".

"Okay, so you're number twelve".

"Well, number ten once regenerated and kept the same face. I had vanity issues at the time. Twelve regenerations, Clara. I can't ever do it again. This is where I end up. This face, this version of me. We saw this planet in the future, remember? All those graves, one of them mine" the Doctor reminded Clara as the sun set. She stared at him and said simply, "Change the future".

"I can't. _We _can't" he replied, taking Romana's hand. He hated the thought of dying and leaving her, but hopefully she would survive, and leave Trenzalore at last, to raise their daughter. "You've got your TARDIS back" Clara protested.

"Ha! You think we're just going to fly away, abandon everyone?"

"Of course not. But you've all been protecting this town for over three hundred years. Do you not think it's anybody else's go yet?" she asked desperately. Romana sighed and shrugged helplessly. "Who else would defend it but us?"

"You won't all be around forever. It'll end the same way, whatever you do".

"Every life we save is a victory. Every single one".

"What about _your_ life? What about Emily, did you want her to grow up in a warzone? … Sorry. Wrong thing to say. We shouldn't be having an argument" Clara apologised. The Doctor sighed. "Clara, we've been having that argument for the last three hundred years, off and on" he admitted. Over the years, he'd tried to get Emily to return to the TARDIS, but she always refused, and they argued for the first time in her life. It usually ended with her in tears and him apologising, not wanting to ever hurt her, but only trying to protect her.

"It would've been easier with the TARDIS" guessed Clara, realising how much she might have cost them by being so late. If only she hadn't grabbed on to the ship, the Time Lords might not have been stuck here so long. "That _did _make it easier for us to stay, to be fair" the Corsair acknowledged. Thunder cracked the sky, and Tasha's voice cried, "Doctor!"

Romana rolled her eyes. "And the one above speaks at last" she muttered, they hadn't heard from the Papal Mainframe in days when normally they got regular updates (not all delivered via giant holographic face, thank goodness). "The Church of the Silence requests parlay. Your rights and safety are sanctified" Tasha informed them.

"We'll be right up".

"I'm sending a transporter".

"Nah, don't bother. We've got our motor back" the Doctor waved Tasha off. She disappeared, and they turned to head back downstairs. "It's gone dark" Clara realised, and the Doctor gave her an odd look. "Yeah, well, the sun's gone down".

"Already?"

"Everything ends, Clara. And sooner than you think".


	43. The Time of the Doctor Pt 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who

The Time of the Doctor – Part Four

When they went back to the TARDIS, Emily spotted someone hiding behind it, and went to investigate. "Oh, hey Barnable. Were you guarding the TARDIS for us?" she asked the boy, who got up from the snow and brushed himself down. "Are you coming back?" he asked Emily, who smiled. "Of course! I'll see you later" she assured him, going into the TARDIS. "I'll wait" he called after her.

They went to the Papal Mainframe, ignoring the rule about being unclothed to walk right up to Tasha Lem. "She hasn't aged much" Clara commented to the Doctor, who nodded and answered, "No, she's against ageing".

"Approach"

As they made their way past the rows of soldiers, they also passed a few Silents. Even though she knew they weren't with Kovarian, Romana was still creeped out by them, and did her best not to look at them and forget they were there. "Confess" one rasped. Clara glanced at them. "What are those things?" she inquired. Another one rasped "Confess", and the Doctor explained, "Confessional priests. Very popular. Genetically engineered so you forget everything you told them".

By then Clara had passed all the Silents, and gave the Doctor an odd look. "Told who?" she inquired, and he smirked; she'd just proved his point. "There you go". Tasha led them to her chapel, where the bed had been replaced by a table. She sat at one end and the Doctor on the other, in front of a big box. He opened it and peered inside, smiling. "Satisfactory?" Tasha asked shortly.

"Where are the pink ones?"

"E-Numbers; you're hyper enough as it is. I don't know how Romana puts up with you" Tasha commented. Clara realised that the box was full of white marshmallows – well, this explained where he'd got them all from. "So, this is sweet. Middle of a siege and you lot have little chats?" she asked rhetorically. Nevertheless Tasha stated, "She's right. This situation cannot continue".

"It can't end either" the Doctor insisted, passing a marshmallow to Emily. In another part of the ship, a Dalek ordered, "Report!" – A colonel raised her head, an eye-stalk protruding from her forehead and those of her colleagues. "The Time Lords have entered the trap" she reported. All over the Papal Mainframe, the Clerics and Silence alike had eye-stalks emerge from their foreheads.

/

"Why did you ever come to Trenzalore?" Tasha questioned; if they had simply never come to this planet, none of this would have happened. "Well, we _did_ come, and nothing can change that now" Romana maintained, before adding, "Not that it stopped you from trying". Tasha rolled her eyes and replied, "Not me. The Kovarian Chapter broke away. They travelled back along your timeline and tried to prevent you ever reaching Trenzalore".

"So that's who blew up my TARDIS. I thought I'd left the bath running" the Doctor remarked absently. Tasha ignored this comment and continued, "They blew up your time capsule, created the very cracks in the universe through which the Time Lords are now calling". It would be ironic if it hadn't caused so many problems for everyone. "That's the destiny trap, isn't it?" asked Emily, "You can't alter history if you become part of it".

Tasha then said, "They engineered a psychopath to kill you", but the Corsair smirked and replied, "Who became my honorary niece; and that plan sort of worked, for about half a minute".

"I'm not interested in changing history" Tasha claimed, "I want to change the future. The Daleks send for reinforcements daily. They are massing for war. Three days ago, they attacked the Mainframe itself" she revealed, and the Time Lords stiffened, staring at her. "They attacked here?" the Doctor repeated, reaching out towards Emily and Romana. "How did you stop them?" asked Clara, also staring at Tasha – even she could tell something wasn't right.

"Stop them? It was slaughter!"

"Why didn't you call us? We could have helped!"

"I tried. I died in this room, screaming your name!"

"No…" the Doctor scrambled out of his chair, they all did, backing away from Tasha. She looked confused for a moment. "Oh…I died. It's funny the things that slip your mind. Ah!" she cried out, gripping her head. The Doctor pushed Emily and Romana behind him, as the Corsair did the same for Clara and Flavia, readying his weapon. "No, no, come on Tasha, fight it! You can fight it, please!" the Doctor said desperately, but it was too late. An eye-stalk extended from her head, and then actual Daleks burst into the room.

_Emily, go to the TARDIS _ Romana insisted; her daughter didn't need to be told twice. She pressed the button on her bracelet and felt the familiar tingle of being teleported. Inside the TARDIS, she could hear Daleks shouting to open the time machine…and even though she knew they wouldn't get in, she was still scared, so she ran and hid down in the lower levels of the console room.

"The Doctor will be exterminated!" the lead Dalek ordered, back in the chapel, aiming it's gunstick at the Doctor. "You shouldn't even know who I am!" he protested, trying to keep Romana behind him and not let her take the blast or something like that. "Information concerning the Doctor was harvested from the cadaver of Tasha Lem".

"Bet she never told you how to break through the Trenzalore force-field, though. She'd have died first".

"Several times".

"Well, you'd better kill me, then. Go on. But before you do", the Doctor raised his sonic and the message began to repeat, in English, over and over again. "Doctor who? Doctor who? Doctor who?"

"I'm a tough old bird. I'll be ages dying. Way enough time to answer a question. And, oh dear, what happens then, boys?" he asked the Daleks, holding the stalemate over them as leverage – but they had leverage of their own. Tasha grabbed Romana from behind, aiming her own gunstick at the Time Lady's head. _Pretend not to care Theta _she told the Doctor quickly, just knowing he would try to defend her and get them all killed in retaliation.

"You will die in silence, Doctor, or your wife will die" the Dalek revealed. The Doctor tensed, looking at Romana. _If you're sure… _"Fine, go on, kill her. Kill her! See if I care. But tell me, what you are going to do next?" he asked, feeling horrible for saying such things about the woman he loved. "See how the Time Lord betrays" the Dalek told Romana, who glared at it. "You would have killed me anyway; this makes no difference" she retorted.

The Doctor beamed at her. "You see, Tasha, that's what I'm talking about! If you ever wondered why I preferred Romana to you, _this_ is why. I always knew you were a bit spineless, you and your pointless church. Why did I ever rely on you? Never trust a nun to do a Doctor's work" he goaded Tasha. It worked, thankfully – she released Romana and slapped him hard, before turning on the Daleks, killing them all in bursts of flames.

"Welcome back" the Corsair remarked, as the Doctor pulled Romana into a tight embrace, so relieved she was alive. _Don't you ever ask me to pretend I don't care again_ he begged her. He understood why she wanted him to pretend, to throw the Daleks off, but it still hurt so much to do when all he wanted was to push Tasha away from her and shield her from harm. _I won't if you won't _she replied in kind, pulling him into a kiss.

"What now?" asked Flavia, and the Corsair replied, "The Time War part two, I'm afraid. Oi, quit snogging and focus, you two" he added to the Doctor and Romana. They pulled apart and the Doctor turned to Tasha, whose eye-stalk had retreated back into her skull, leaving a scar. "Right, get us back to the TARDIS. Can you do that?" he asked her.

"Yeah, but quickly, the Dalek inside me is waking".

"Fight it".

"I can't".

"Yes, you can" Romana asserted, turning to face Tasha. "Listen to me, we've never had a very friendly relationship, but if you ever cared for my husband even a tiny bit you will fight it and _win_, is that understood?" she demanded, before following the Doctor into the teleport booths. Tasha hurried to the controls. "The force-field will hold for a while, but it will decay, and there are breaches already" she warned them as she worked.

"Then this isn't a siege any more, it's a war. It's all up to you now. Fight the Daleks, inside and out".

"Oh, I see. You've got your TARDIS back, haven't you? Time to fly away".

"Tasha Lem…thank you, for everything".

"None of this was for you, you fatuous egotist. It was for the peace. Fly away, Doctor!" Tasha said scornfully as she teleported them back to the TARDIS. Moments after they appeared in the console room, a bell dinged. Flavia told Clara that her turkey was ready, or had possibly come back to life. _You talk to Clara, and I'll talk to Emily. They _deserve _to know what needs to be done, Theta _said Romana, and he swallowed, before nodding.

Romana took Emily off to the side and hugged her tightly. "Your dad and I love you very much, Emily. Remember that" she told her daughter, looking Emily right in the eyes. "You're sending me away, aren't you?" she realised. Romana nodded sadly. "Yes, and this time…you need to stay away" she murmured, pulling the teleport bracelet from Emily's wrist. Emily wrapped her arms around her mother, tears falling down her cheeks. "I'm gonna miss you" she whimpered.

Meanwhile, Clara had been asking the Doctor if they wanted any turkey, and if he had plates – but then she paused on the way down the steps, turned back and said, "Just tell me one thing. If this is turning into a war, you're not going to let Emily see it, are you".

"No, and we need you to look after her" the Doctor told Clara. She realised they were going to send her and Emily back to Earth, and even though she didn't want to abandon them, she understood. She nodded slowly, and then went to get the turkey. No sense in leaving it here. The Doctor hugged Emily tightly, for what might have been the last time. "I love you, Emily" he whispered to her, and she tightened her hold on him. "I love you too, dad. I won't forget you".

"I won't forget you either, no matter what happens".

"Promise you'll come back if you can".

"We promise".

Clara came back up with the turkey, and Emily bid goodbye to the Corsair and Flavia, who both promised to come back for her as soon as they could. With tears in every eye, Clara and Emily left the TARDIS and watched it dematerialise before their eyes. Once it had completely disappeared, Emily stood there staring at where it had been, rubbing her wrist where her bracelet had been, tears streaming down her cheeks.

When the TARDIS materialised in Christmas once more, Barnable took one look at the distraught expressions of the Doctor and Romana, and realised his friend was missing. "Where's Emily?" he asked, fearing the worst. The Doctor looked down at him, and with enormous effort, replied, "She's safe".

_And so, to the fields of Trenzalore came all the Time Lord's enemies. For this was the winter of the Doctor. In time, when all other races had retreated or burned, only the Church of the Mainframe remained in the path of the Daleks. And so those ancient enemies, the Doctor and the Silence, stood back to back on the fields of Trenzalore. _

/

Whilst another six hundred years passed on Trenzalore, time seemed almost suspended in Clara's small flat. She'd explained that 'Freya' was a friend of Angie Maitland, which was technically true, and that her parents had to go on a last minute business trip so the fourteen year old would stay with Clara for a while. It had quelled her family's curiosity about Emily, whom they didn't recognise as the same young girl they'd met just a few minutes previously (from their perspective), but it hadn't done much to cheer up Emily herself.

To make matters worse, Linda had taken to commenting loudly on her parent's decision. "Leaving a teenager alone on Christmas is just _asking _for trouble" she sniffed, well in Emily's earshot. The young Time Lady just stared at the TV, trying to ignore the woman. Dave noticed how stiffly she was sitting and hesitantly suggested, "Linda, I don't think we ought to be talking about this".

"All I'm saying is its irresponsible, just to dump her on Clara like that".

"Linda…"

"Actually, I _volunteered. _Anything to help a friend".

"I'm sure her parents have other friends".

"They were all busy, but one of her uncles is going to pick her up later" Clara explained, hoping Linda would just be quiet after that. Her gran pulled a cracker with her dad, and unfolded the piece of paper inside. "These crackers are rubbish" she announced, and Linda frowned, offended. "I bought them".

"I know".

"They're _classy_".

"They don't have jokes".

"Exactly"

"They've got poems".

"They're more dramatic crackers".

"I like the jokes".

"Tell us a joke, Gran. You know loads of jokes".

"Hang on, I thought we were discussing her sorry excuse for"-

"Shut up!" Emily hissed, clenching her fists. Linda stared at her, affronted. "I beg your pardon?" she asked, as Emily stood up and rounded on her. "I don't give it! You don't know _anything _about my parents, so stop jumping to conclusions! If you must know, they went somewhere very dangerous, and they left me behind to _protect _me".

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Emily knew she ought to calm down…but the two most prominent thoughts in her head were _Serves her right for insulting my parents, _and _Does this count as an Oncoming Storm moment? _Clara was shocked at Emily's outburst, although she couldn't blame the girl for being upset. Linda was affronted and a little alarmed, her dad was flabbergasted, and her gran…had started applauding.

Dave quickly changed the subject. "Err, mum, tell us how you met dad" he said to Clara's gran, "The thing about the pigeon". A soft fond smile played over her features as she murmured, "I saw him on a pier on a rainy day".

"No, no, not that one. The one about the pigeon".

"I'd seen him before, lots of times, but he just looked so beautiful standing there".

"The pigeon in the restaurant. You remember?"

"I wanted everything to stop. I wanted nothing to change ever again" she went on, ignoring Dave. A few tears filled her eyes. "If he could just keep standing there, so beautiful. A long time ago…don't worry, dear" she smiled at Emily, patting her cheek, "I'm sure your parents will come back". Emily sniffled and wiped her eyes. "I don't know if they will" she replied. It scared her, the idea that she might never see her parents, or at the very least her dad, again.

Clara came over and hugged her tightly and murmured "It's okay. I'll be here for you, don't you worry". Emily smiled gratefully and hugged her back. "Thanks, Aunt Clara" she whispered…and then a wonderful familiar noise pulled her away from Clara and over to the window. "They came back" she said in wonder, seeing the outline of the TARDIS materialising outside, "Clara, they came back! You were right!" she cheered, giving Clara's gran a kiss on the cheek, before running out of the door. "Wait, slow down!" Clara called, running after her, holding a cracker.

The smile that wreathed Emily's face at the thought of reuniting with her parents disappeared the moment she ran into the TARDIS…and saw only Flavia standing by the console. "What…Flavia, what's going on? Where's everyone else? Where…where are mum and dad?" she asked in confusion, and fear. Clara caught up to them and stepped into the box. Flavia looked at Emily with a solemn, sad gaze and replied, "Emily, I'm…so sorry. Your father…doesn't have much time".

Emily gasped, shaking her head in disbelief. Her hearts protested, he _couldn't _be dying, but in her mind she knew this was the way it was always going to be. She just…she hadn't expected it this _soon. _"Can…can I say goodbye?" she asked in barely a whisper. Flavia nodded as she worked at the controls. "That's why I'm here" she replied. Emily wiped her eyes, and came to help fly the TARDIS – she still remembered what most of the controls did, and at least this time she could actually _reach _them.

/

The TARDIS materialised in the midst of a battle; Clara, Emily and Flavia dodged past fleeing civilians, their way lit by raging fires. It was peaceful inside the tower, to the point of being eerie. The Doctor sat in a chair, whittling a wooden dog figurine. "Who's there?" he called when he heard the door creak, his voice weak. Emily stepped forwards. "Dad" she murmured, and he dropped the toy, turning to look at her.

He'd aged so much, his hair had gone white and his hands were frail. "Hi, dad" Emily sniffled, walking right up to him to save him the effort of trying to stand. "Emily…were you always so young?" he murmured, cupping her cheeks and rubbing them with his thumbs. She reached up to hold his hands. "You kept your promise" she smiled tearfully. "I did" he agreed, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

After a tearful reunion with his daughter, the Doctor beckoned Clara in for a hug as Emily embraced Romana. He noticed the cracker and smiled, he hadn't pulled a cracker in ages. Clara offered the other end to him, and he took it. "Merry Christmas" she said simply. "Merry Christmas" the Doctor replied in kind. He tried to tug on the cracker, but with his strength failing, he couldn't quite manage it until Emily put her hand over his. "We'll pull it together, okay?"

They pulled, and the cracker went bang. "Ah! Is there a joke? Ha?" the Doctor asked eagerly. Clara pulled out the slip of paper and read it by the light of the crack. "Extract from 'Thoughts on a Clock' by Eric Ritchie Junior" she read aloud; so, not a joke then. The Doctor didn't seem to realise this as he asked, "Is it a knock knock one? Those are best". Romana and Emily exchanged sad glances. He was ageing, his mind was failing, and it hurt to see him fade like this.

"I don't think so" Clara admitted. She could understand now, why they had sent her away before…they _would _have had to watch her wither and die, in fact, they'd have had to watch many generations do the same. "Well, read it, go on" the Doctor prompted, still thinking it was some kind of joke. Clara moved into the light a bit more and squinted at the small printed words. "And now it's time for one last bow, like all your other selves. Eleven's hour is over now. The clock is striking twelve's".

They all took a moment to absorb the almost…prophetic lines, when the Doctor mumbled in confusion, "I don't get it". The sombre moment was further broken by something much more unpleasant; a Dalek shouting, "Doctor! The Doctor and his wife will be brought!" Outside, a huge Dalek saucer hovered over the town. "The Daleks demand the Doctor and Romana!"

The door opened, admitting the Corsair and a young man. "They're here" he panted, "The Daleks, we can't stop them. They want you" he told the Doctor, who struggled to his feet. "Oh, alright Barnable…are you Barnable?" he asked, peering at the man. Romana put a hand on his shoulder and reminded him gently, "Barnable died, Doctor. Henry is his descendant".

For a moment he seemed to understand – but that moment was soon destroyed when he turned to the young man and assured him, "It's okay, Barnable, don't worry. I have got a plan. Off you pop". Henry glanced at the Corsair, who nodded, so he left. Then the Doctor looked at Clara. "I haven't got a plan, but people love it when I say that" he told her, before sighing and putting his arms around Emily and Romana. "My girls…I love you both".

"Mum, dad…please don't go" Emily begged. The Doctor stroked her hair and smiled down at her. "Your mum's not going anywhere, sweetheart. You need to be a good girl for her, okay?" he asked. She let out a sob and clung to him. _Romana, my love…I don't want you to die with me. Run away, take our daughter and run. For me _the Doctor told Romana privately. She bit back a sob of her own, trying to stay strong for Emily's sake. _For you, only for you, Theta, my love _she replied, a single tear escaping and sliding down her cheek.

"No" said Clara, shaking her head, unable to accept that the Doctor was just going to walk to his death. He looked over at her and answered, "Yes. We saw the future, Clara. This is how it ends".

"Change it".

"Ha".

"Like Tasha said, change the future".

"I could have once, when there were Time Lords. Not anymore" the Doctor sighed. He wanted time to stop dead, so he could have more time with his wife and daughter…but the Daleks would tear the town apart looking for him and facing them…was the only way. At least if Romana survived, she and the others might find a way to Gallifrey. "Repeat of the Time War or not…try to find our home. I'd like Emeya to see it" he instructed Romana, who nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

He gently disengaged Emily's arms from around his waist. "Dad…don't go" she pleaded one more time. He stroked her cheeks, wiping away the tears, and smiled down at her. "My beautiful, brilliant girl. There's one thing you can do for me…be fantastic. No matter what, you keep being brilliant. Goodbye, Emeya…goodbye Corsair…goodbye Flavia…goodbye Clara" he said to each of them in turn, before finally turning his eyes on Romana. _Goodbye Romana. _

_Goodbye Theta._

The Doctor moved to hobble up the stairs, as Romana wrapped her arms around Emily. He paused and commented, "The trouble with Daleks is, they take so long to say anything. Probably die of boredom before they shoot me" he joked weakly. Emily broke down, sobbing in her mother's arms. The Corsair put his arm around Flavia and Romana both, closing his eyes in regret as Flavia did the same. Clara looked around. There had to be _something _she could do…and then she spotted the crack.

She strode over and spoke to it. "Listen to me, you lot. Listen! Help him. Help him change the future. Do it. Do _something_" she demanded desperately. The others heard her, and…they rallied. Flavia was the first to walk over. "She's right. As a former Chancellor of the High Council, I strongly advise you to listen to her" the Time Lady asserted. Then the Corsair added, "He needs help, and we can't do anything, but you can!"

"Please! He's my dad. I don't want him to die, none of us do".

"You've been asking a question" Clara continued, "And it's time someone told you you've been getting it wrong. His name, his name is the Doctor. All the name he needs. Everything you need to know about him. He saved you, now it's time that you saved him!"

The crack glowed even brighter for a moment, forcing them all to shut their eyes…and then, it snapped shut. Romana swallowed, feeling like her throat was full of cotton wool. "We need to get to the TARDIS" she decided; if the Time Lords wouldn't help them, then damn the laws of time, _she _would save her husband or die trying. They ran outside, to see everyone staring up at the Doctor at the top of the bell tower. Despite the danger from the Daleks, they stopped to watch, unable to look away.

/

The Doctor sat down on a small seat and looked up at the Dalek ship hovering above him. "Sorry I'm a bit slow. I may not be at my best right now" he apologised sarcastically. "You are dying, Doctor" a Dalek intoned. They certainly had a fondness for stating the obvious at times. The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Yes, I'm dying. You've been trying to kill me for centuries, and here I am, dying of old age. If you want something done, do it yourself".

"You will die, as will your wife, and the Time Lords will never return".

"You still can't work up the courage to shoot me, can you? You're still worried I've got something up my sleeve. Well, you knock yourselves out, boys. I've got nothing this time" he sighed, holding his arms out in surrender. He prayed that his family would get away; his beautiful wife, his wonderful daughter, his honorary sister in law…even the Corsair and Flavia had become like cousins, almost, and if Romana did die…just the thought made his hearts hurt…there were no other people he trusted more to take care of his little girl.

Except that then something unexpected and _incredible _happened. A wide crack opened in the sky above the saucer, and regeneration energy floated out of it, right into the Doctor's open mouth. His eyes widened as he looked down at his hands, which were already beginning to glow. "You will die now, Doctor. This is the end of you" the Dalek insisted as the crack closed, "The rules of regeneration are known. You have expended all your lives".

"Sorry, what did you say? Did you mention the rules? Now, listen. Bit of advice. Tell me the truth if you think you know it. Lay down the law if you're feeling brave. But, Daleks, never, ever tell me the rules!"

"Emergency! Emergency! The Doctor is regenerating!" the Daleks screamed, finally realising what was going on as the tower clock struck twelve. "The Doctor is regenerating!"

"Oh, look at this. Regeneration number thirteen. We're breaking some serious science here, boys. I tell you what, it's going to be a whopper!"

"Exterminate! Exterminate the Doctor!"

"You think you can stop me now, Daleks? If you want my life, ha, ha, come and get it!" the Doctor challenged, winding up his arm like a baseball pitcher and throwing a blast of regeneration energy up at the Daleks. Down below, Clara and the rest of the Time Quintet hurried to usher everyone into the Tower, the most defensible structure apart from the TARDIS. "Get inside! Come on, quickly. Get inside, quick" Clara urged the survivors of the battle.

"Love from Gallifrey boys!" the Doctor cried triumphantly as energy blasted from his head and hands, destroying the Dalek saucer and even the Daleks below with an enormous ka-boom!

/

Clara couldn't find the Time Lords, and she walked through the remains of the town, back to the TARDIS. The outside phone had been knocked off its hook in the blast wave that took out the Daleks; she carefully replaced it before stepping into the time machine. Romana, the Corsair, Flavia and Emily were waiting for her. "Where's the Doctor?" she asked them. Romana gestured to his village clothes scattered about and replied, "Getting dressed".

There were footsteps in the corridor, and then the Doctor emerged, restored to his youthful state. "You're young again" Clara noted, "You're okay. You didn't even change your face". The Doctor smiled ruefully. "Ha! It's started. I can't stop it now. This is just the reset. A whole new regeneration cycle" he explained, walking down the steps to Romana and giving her a small kiss. "Taking a bit longer. Just breaking it in"- he winced as he moved to set the TARDIS in flight. The others helped almost automatically, even Emily.

"It all just disappears, doesn't it?" the Doctor remarked calmly, "Everything you are, gone in a moment, like breath on a mirror. Any moment now, he's a-coming" he told Clara, who looked at him in confusion and asked, "Who's coming?"

"The Doctor" Romana replied simply. "But…but you are the Doctor" Clara insisted, and the Doctor nodded in agreement. "Yep, and I always will be… But times change, and so must I" he sighed, looking at Romana and giving her a loving smile. _I love you, and I always will _he told her, showing her his love through their bond. _I love you too, and I always will _she replied in kind.

"We all change, when you think about it" he told Clara, trying to make it easier on her – out of all of them, she had the least experience with regeneration. "We're all different people all through our lives. And that's okay, that's good, you've got to keep moving, so long as you remember all the people that you used to be. I will not forget one line of this. Not one day. I swear. I will always remember when the Doctor was me".

He closed his eyes for a moment, reaching up to his bowtie. In his mind's eye, he saw Amy smiling at him. "Raggedy man, goodnight" she seemed to whisper, before walking back to Rory, who put his arm around her and nodded in respect to the Doctor. Then the Doctor opened his eyes again and pulled off his bowtie, wordlessly letting it fall to the floor. Clara gasped, as it finally hit her that this was really happening. She shook her head. "No, no…"

"It's okay, Clara" Romana assured her. The Doctor nodded, and began to say, "Yes, everything"- he tensed in pain, jerked backwards against the console, and then twisted back to face Romana and Emily as a completely new man. His wide, icy blue eyes stared at them both, as if drinking the sight of them in. He was much older, more closely matched to Romana's current apparent age, his hair steely grey and curly. 

Before anyone could speak, or ask him if he was alright, or make a quip – the Doctor clutched his side and exclaimed, "Kidneys! I've got new kidneys. I don't like the colour" he complained in a Scottish accent. "Of your kidneys?" Clara asked in complete bewilderment. The TARDIS began to lurch and shake. "What's happening?" she cried in alarm, holding on for dear life. "We're probably crashing!" the Doctor replied, clinging to the console.

"Into what?"

"Stay calm. Just one question" he said to Romana, very seriously, staring into her eyes… "Do you happen to know how to fly this thing?"

/

A/N: Okay, so I could have extended the previous chapter by at least a thousand words, but what's done is done. Happy New Year everybody, and thank you so much for all the reviews, follows and favourites! Keep your eyes peeled for the upcoming series eight story, 'Growing Pains' (rubbish title, I might change it later).


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